Acidosis is a medical term describing an excessive acidity of body fluids, typically due to an accumulation of acid or loss of bicarbonate. It indicates a state where blood pH falls below the normal range, requiring clinical assessment and possible treatment. The word is used in clinical contexts, research, and education about metabolic or respiratory disturbances.
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- Misplacing stress on the first syllable: ensure the primary accent is on the third syllable (a-sí-DO-sis). Practice by clapping the rhythm: da-da-DO-da. - Running the middle vowel into a quick /ɪ/ or /ɒ/; keep the second syllable as /sɪ/ with a crisp vowel, not a reduced schwa. - Slurring the final /sɪs/ into /səs/ or /siːs/. Keep a clear final /ɪs/ with short /ɪ/ before /s/ and a final crisp /s/.
- US: maintain rhotic transparency but focus on the non-rhotic nature of the word? Actually US is rhotic; the “r” is not present here, but you should be aware of general rhotic habits. Emphasize the /oʊ/ in the third syllable, with a rounded lip posture. - UK: keep the /ɒ/ for the second vowel, shorter than /oʊ/; avoid adding a /r/ or extra vowel. - AU: tends toward flatter vowels, with less pronounced diphthongs; maintain /ˈæ sɪ ˈdo sɪs/ with a subtle /ɔ/ quality on the /ɒ/ variant; keep final /s/ crisp. Use IPA references: US /ˌæsɪˈdoʊsɪs/, UK /ˌæsɪˈdɒsɪs/, AU /ˌæsɪˈdɒsɪs/.
"The patient developed metabolic acidosis after the kidney function declined."
"Respiratory acidosis can occur when ventilation is insufficient to expel carbon dioxide."
"Chronic kidney disease can contribute to metabolic acidosis over time."
"The researchers studied the effects of severe acidosis on cellular metabolism."
Acidosis derives from the Greek akodos/akidōn meaning acid and the medical suffix -osis, denoting a condition or process. The term forms from early 19th-century medical language when clinicians described abnormal acid-base states. The root acid refers to sour or acidic substances; once combined with -osis, it indicated a pathological condition of excessive acidification in the body's fluids. First attestations appear in the 1830s–1850s medical writings as physicians differentiated acidosis from alkalosis, clarifying whether the problem originated from metabolism (metabolic acidosis) or respiration (respiratory acidosis). Over time, the term broadened as diagnostic laboratories and arterial blood gas analysis made detection more precise, but the core idea remained: an abnormal increase in hydrogen ion concentration lowering pH.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "acidosis" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "acidosis" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "acidosis"
-sis sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce as /ˌæsɪˈdoʊsɪs/ in US/UK, with three syllables: a-si-doh-sis. Stress falls on the third syllable: a-si-DO-sis. Start with a short ‘a’ as in cat, then /ˈsɪ/ for the second syllable, then /ˈdoʊ/ as the long o, ending with /sɪs/. Visualize: a-sih-DOH-sis; keep the vowel in the third syllable long.
Common errors include flattening the middle vowel into a quick /ɪ/ from /sɪ/ and misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (a-SI-doh-sis). Another frequent mistake is truncating the final 'sis' to 'siss' or merging syllables too tightly. To correct: ensure the /sɪ/ in the second syllable is clearly pronounced, keep the /doʊ/ as a full stressed syllable, and articulate the final /sɪs/ distinctly.
US: /ˌæsɪˈdoʊsɪs/ with rhoticity, the /r/ not present but influence from surrounding vowels; UK: /ˌæsɪˈdɒsɪs/ with shorter /ɒ/ in the second vowel; AU: /ˌæsɪˈdɒsɪs/ similar to UK but with slightly flatter vowels and non-rhotic tendencies in casual speech. The key differences are vowel quality in the second syllable and the final /ɪs/.
The difficulty stems from three factors: stress placement on the second/third syllable, the long diphthong /oʊ/ in the third syllable, and the sequence /sɪs/ at the end which can blur if spoken quickly. Also, the vowel change from /ɪ/ to /ɒ/ or /oʊ/ can be challenging for speakers not used to varying mid-vowel sounds. Practice slowing down the middle vowel and clearly enunciating the final consonants.
In acidosis, the 'ac' corresponds to the /æ/ sound in American English, as in 'cat' or 'apple' for the first syllable. The 'ac' here does not function as a separate diphthong; the primary stress is on the third syllable and the initial /æ/ blends into /sɪ/ smoothly. So it is not pronounced as /æk/ or /ax/; it’s /æ sɪ/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "acidosis"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native medical speaker saying acidosis, pause after each syllable, imitate exactly, then increase speed. - Minimal pairs: /æ sɪ/ vs /æsɪ/; /doʊ/ vs /dɒ/ to feel the 3rd syllable. - Rhythm: clap the syllable count (3 syllables) and stress pattern: da-da-DO-sis. - Intonation: practice a neutral statement: 'The patient has metabolic acidosis.' with falling intonation after the final word. - Stress practice: repeat a sentence with emphasis on 'acidosis' to feel the trochaic or iambic pattern, depending on context. - Recording: record yourself reading clinical phrases and compare to a reference.
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