Agoraphobia is a fear of and anxiety about being in places or situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable, often leading to avoidance of public spaces. It is a recognized anxiety disorder characterized by intense worry about having a panic attack or embarrassment in crowds, leaving home, or traveling. The term combines Greek roots for 'marketplace' and 'fear' and often co-occurs with other phobias or panic disorders.
- You: You might misplace the stress, saying a-go-RA-pho-bee-a or ao-GO-rā-fia. Focus on the fourth syllable as the strongest beat. - You: You may drop the second syllable 'go' or blur 'ph' to 'f'; keep/'ph' as a voiceless labiodental fricative before 'o'. - You: You may try to shorten the ending as 'bia' with tensed lips; instead, relax and use a light schwa between /bi/ and /ə/.
US: rhotic /r/ is pronounced and the 'go' vowel tends toward /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ depending on speaker. UK: non-rhotic; /r/ not pronounced except before a vowel; 'go' tends toward /əʊ/; AU: similar to UK but with flatter, broader vowels and more vowel reduction. IPA notes: US /ˌæɡɔˈræfəbiə/, UK /ˌæɡəˈrəʊfəbiə/, AU /ˌæɡəˈrəʊfəbiə/. Focus on keeping the /ɡ/ hard, the /r/ articulation clear (or silent in non-rhotic accents), and the /f/ sound distinct from /v/ in context. - Use deliberate mouth positions: start with open jaw for /æ/ then relaxed /ɡ/ with back of tongue high. - For AU, relax vowel height slightly and keep r-color less pronounced.
"She developed agoraphobia after a series of panic attacks in crowded places."
"Many people with agoraphobia avoid large events and prefer staying close to home."
"Therapy for agoraphobia often includes exposure steps and cognitive restructuring."
"Support groups can help reduce the isolation felt by those with agoraphobia."
Agoraphobia derives from Greek agora (αγορά) meaning 'assembly, market-place' and phobos (φόβος) meaning 'fear.' The term entered medical and psychiatric vocabulary in the 19th to early 20th centuries as clinicians distinguished specific phobias from generalized anxiety. The earliest English usage appears in texts discussing panic and avoidance linked to open or unfamiliar spaces; later psychoanalytic and behavioral frameworks refined the concept as a recognizable anxiety disorder. The composition reflects a fear of spaces where one might feel trapped or unable to escape, rather than a fear of open space per se. Over time, the term has broadened to include fear of leaving familiar environments, including public transportation, stores, or broad, unfamiliar areas, and it is now commonly paired with panic disorder diagnoses in clinical contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Agoraphobia" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Agoraphobia"
-ora sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it into five syllables: a-go-ra-PHO-bi-a. Primary stress on the fourth syllable: /ˌæɡɔˈræfəbiə/ (US) or /ˌæɡəˈrəʊfəbiə/ (UK). Begin with a short 'a' as in 'cat', then 'go' with a soft g, then 'ra' with a rolled 'r' if possible, 'pho' like 'foe' with an 'f' before it, and end with 'bia' like 'bee-uh'. An audio reference can help: listen for the stressed second-to-last syllable in natural speech.”,
Common errors: (1) Misplacing the stress, saying a-go-RAH-phobia or a-GO-ra-pha-bia. (2) Slurring the 'ph' into a simple 'f' or 'p' sound, yielding 'agora-fo-bia'. (3) Mispronouncing the final 'bia' as 'bee-ah' or 'beh-ah' rather than the weak-unstressed 'biə' sound. Correction: place primary stress on the fourth syllable ('pho' as in foe, then ‘bi-a’ with a light 'ə' before the final 'a'), and ensure /ɡ/ is hard as in 'go' and /f/ is clearly articulated.”,
US: /ˌæɡɔˈræfəbiə/ with rhotic /r/ and clear /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ in 'go' depending on speaker. UK: /ˌæɡəˈrəʊfəbiə/ with non-rhotic /r/ and /əʊ/ for the 'ro' sequence. Australian: /ˌæɡəˈrəʊfəbiə/ similar to UK but with noticeable vowel merging in 'go' and a flatter intonation. Main differences lie in rhoticity and vowel quality in 'go' and the 'bia' ending; listen for 'ag-uh-ROH-fuh-bee-uh' vs 'AG-uh-ROH-fya' depending on accent.
Three challenging features: the sequence 'agora' with a mid- back rounded /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ plus an immediate /ræ/ cluster, the /ɡɔ/ to /ɡɔː/ glide into /ræ/; the 'ph' digraph representing /f/ followed by a weakly stressed 'bi-a' with a schwa-like middle. Trailing /biə/ can slow with mouth closing and lateral tongue tension. Practicing by isolating the stressed syllable and gradually blending the endings helps maintain rhythm and reduces tension in the mouth.
Question: Does the stress shift change when used as an attributive noun or in compound phrases? Answer: In standard usage, agoraphobia remains trisyllabic-stress pattern with primary stress on the fourth syllable when used in isolation or in phrases like 'treatment for agoraphobia.' In compounds or modifiers, you typically keep the same hierarchy of syllables but may place slightly less emphasis on the root syllable if the phrase places emphasis elsewhere, though the main stress generally remains on -ra- or -pho- in natural speech.
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- Shadowing: Listen to 10-12 seconds of native speech and repeat with exact timing; mirror mouth to ensure /ɡ/ and /f/ are crisp. - Minimal pairs: agor- vs agor- where you differentiate /ɡ/ vs /ɡɹ/; pair with 'gap' vs 'gap'; - Rhythm practice: Stress pattern strong-weak-weak-STRONG-weak to imitate natural speech; - Stress practice: Practice the fourth syllable 'Pho' bearing the main stress; - Recording: Record yourself repeating the word in multiple sentences, compare to a native pronunciation; - Context sentences: 'She has agoraphobia and avoids crowded places.' 'The diagnosis for agoraphobia can be challenging.' - Syllable drills: 4-syllable rhythm: a-go-ra-PHO-bia; speed progression slow-normal-fast.
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