Abnormality refers to a deviation from the typical form, function, or structure of something. It denotes something that is not ordinary or expected, often indicating a condition, characteristic, or state that stands apart from the norm. The term is used across medicine, psychology, biology, and everyday description to signal notable irregularity or anomaly.
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- You misplace stress by emphasizing the first syllable too much; ensure the primary stress sits on NOR: ab-NOR-mal-i-ty. - You flatten the NOR vowel, making it sound like /ɔːr/ vs /ɔ/; keep the clear /ɔ/ sound and, in non-rhotic accents, ensure the /r/ is not overpronounced. - You run the -mal- and -i- together; practice with a light, separate syllable for -i- before the final -ty. - Liquidity of the final -ty: avoid a heavy /t/; keep a light, quick /ti/; glide is minimal. - Finally, ensure final syllable is not swallowed; keep the lexeme ending crisp but not robotic.
"The medical scan revealed an abnormality in the patient's liver."
"Researchers noted an abnormality in the dataset that required further validation."
"The team investigated the anomaly to determine whether it was a natural variation or a sign of disease."
"Public health reports emphasized that rare abnormalities can still occur without posing a health risk."
Abnormality derives from the prefix a- (not, without) + normal (conforming to a standard) in Middle French and Latin traditions, with the abstract noun suffix -ity. The core term normal originates from Latin normalis (made consistent with a rule, rule-based), itself from norma (a carpenter’s rule, standard). The a- prefix intensifies the sense of negation, producing a word that means not normal or deviating from the standard. The sense of abnormality as a medical or general condition of being unusual appears in English by the 17th–18th centuries, aligning with scientific discourse that sought to classify irregular presentations. Over time, the term broadened from strictly medical contexts to everyday usage, where it denotes any irregular trait, event, or circumstance that falls outside expected norms. In modern usage, abnormality can carry neutral, clinical, or pejorative connotations depending on context, with “abnormal” often favoring clinical, formal register while “abnormality” tends to be more noun-centered and evaluative. The word’s adoption reflects a long-standing linguistic habit of forming abstract nouns from adjectives to discuss deviations in form, behavior, or state, making it a staple in medical, psychological, and technical vocabularies worldwide.
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Words that rhyme with "abnormality"
-ity sounds
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Pronounce as ab-NOR-mal-i-ty, with primary stress on NOR. IPA: US æbˌnɔrˈmæləti, UK æbˌnɔːˈmæləti, AU æbˌnɔːˈmæləti. The first syllable a- sounds like “a” in cat, second syllable NOR uses a broad /ɔ/ vowel, the -mal- uses /mæl/ and ends with -i-ty as /əti/; keep the final /ti/ light and unstressed. Think: ab-NOR-mal-i-ty, smooth transition between syllables.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (saying a-BNOR-mal-i-ty), mispronouncing the /ɔr/ cluster as /ɔːr/ or collapsing the r-sound in non-rhotic accents, and slurring the -mal-i-ty into a single syllable. Correction: place primary stress on NOR, ensure the sequence is /æb/ + /nɔːr/ (US/UK vary), insert the /mæl/ clearly, and articulate the final /əti/ with a light /t/ and short /i/ to avoid sounding like ‘abnormality’ run together.
In US, the vowel in NOR is /ɔ/, rhotic /ɹ/ after NOR becomes prominent in spacing; US speakers often reduce the final /i/ to a schwa before -ty becomes /ti/? The US tends to pronounce as æbˌnɔɹˈmæləti with a clear /ɹ/ and higher vowel quality in NOR. UK speakers generally use /ɔː/ for NOR, non-rhotic /r/ not pronounced after a vowel; final -ty tends to /ti/ with a clear /i/. Australian tends to be similar to UK but with slight upward vowel quality; /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ is common and final -ti remains /ti/.-
Two main challenges: the medial sequence NOR + MAL includes a dense cluster of consonants and a stressed syllable that sits across two vowels, making the transition smooth but crucial. The -mal- portion requires precise /mæl/ with a short, crisp /l/. Additionally, distinguishing the unstressed -i-ty ending /əli/ or /əti/ demands light, quick articulation to avoid truncation or gliding. Practice the rhythm: ab-NOR-mal-i-ty with clear onset and coda for each syllable.
A useful, unique query is: Is the -ormal- portion pronounced as /ˈɔːr.məl/ in British English, and how does the sequence /nɔːrˈmæl/ resolve to the final -ity? Answer: In many accents, especially British English, NOR and MAL share distinct vowel qualities while the -ty part remains unstressed; the sequence often reduces the vowel in the final syllable and keeps a light /ti/. The key is keeping NOR distinct from MAL and not merging syllables too aggressively.
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