Amputation is the surgical removal of all or part of a limb or appendage. The term also refers to the resulting state of being without a limb. It is pronounced with three syllables and stress on the third syllable root, reflecting its medical specialty usage and formal register.
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"The surgeon recommended amputation after the failed attempt to repair the severely injured leg."
"In many countries, trauma care emphasizes limb preservation, but amputation remains a life-saving option in some cases."
"The patient underwent a below-the-knee amputation following the accident."
"Rehabilitation after amputation focuses on prosthetic fitting, mobility, and adaptive training."
Amputation derives from Latin amutatio, from the verb amputare meaning to prune or cut off, with o as a stem vowel indicative of a noun-forming suffix. The root amput- is from amputare (to cut away) composed of the prefix a- (toward, away) combined with mutare (to change, to remove in parts), linked to Greek aneu mer - not directly; but the English term passed into Middle French as amputation and then into English in the late Middle Ages and early modern period. The progression reflects medical Latin usage in surgical contexts, with amputation cementing its sense as a surgical removal of a limb. First known uses appear in medieval Latin medical texts, with English adoption in the 15th–16th centuries as medical vocabulary expanded in surgery and anatomy discourse. Over centuries, the term evolved semantically to cover various forms of limb removal, including partial (disarticulation) and complete (above- or below-knee) procedures, in clinical, legal, and educational contexts. In modern usage, the word is firmly established in medical English, with a precise procedural definition and a well-understood set of related terms (prosthetic limb, phantom limb sensation, rehabilitation).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "amputation" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "amputation"
-ion sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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You pronounce it a-MYOO-puh-TAY-shun, with four phonetic peaks: /əˌmjuː.pəˈteɪ.ʃən/. Primary stress is on the third syllable, tied to teɪ. The sequence emphasizes the 'mju' as a single consonant cluster, and the 'tion' ending sounds as -ən in many dialects. Visualize the flow: a- (schwa) + mjuː (myoo) + pə (puh) + teɪ (tay) + ʃən (shun). Icing on the cake: keep the intonation steady through the word, with a slight rise on the stressed syllable.
Common errors include flattening the secondary stressed 'teɪ' into a quick 'tay' or misplacing the primary stress on the second syllable (a-MYOO-puh-TA-shun). Another frequent mistake is pronouncing the 'ju' as separate consonants (joo) rather than the /mjuː/ cluster. Correct by: (1) producing a light schwa before /mjuː/; (2) ensuring the 'teɪ' syllable carries the strong stress; (3) ending with a clear /ʃən/ rather than a simple /ən/. Practice with slow, then normal tempo to cement the four-phoneme sequence.
In US and UK, the core three-stress pattern remains, but US tends to a slightly longer /juː/ in the /mjuː/ cluster and a clearer /ˈteɪ.ʃən/ ending; UK often shows a crisper /təˈmeɪtʃən/?—not typical. Australian pronunciation is similar to US but with more vowel reduction in fast speech and a marginally less rhotic influence. Overall, you’ll hear /əˌmjuː.pəˈteɪ.ʃən/ in all, with minor vowel length differences and a subtle rhotic influence in some speakers.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic flow and the /mjuː/ cluster, which can blur into /mj/ if you’re not careful. The stress on the third syllable can be missed in rapid speech, causing it to sound like a-MYOO-puh-TA-shun instead of a-MYOO-puh-TEI-ʃən. Also, the ending -tion often becomes a light /ən/ instead of a crisp /tʃən/; some speakers devoice /ʃən/ to /ʃn̩/. Focus on the sequence a-MYOO-puh-TEI-ʃən with steady rhythm.
A key feature is the /mjuː/ cluster after the initial schwa: the /m/ and /j/ blend into a single syllabic sequence that can trip up speakers who split it into /mj/. Keeping the /mjuː/ as one unit helps maintain smooth syllable transitions. Additionally, the /t/ before the final /ʃən/ needs a clean release to avoid slurring into /tʃən/.
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-ə/ Another unstressed schwa at the start; relax jaw and lips. -mj uː/ The /m/ with bilabial closure; immediately glide into /j/ while keeping /juː/ as a single sound; lips lightly rounded, tongue blade near alveolar ridge. -pə/ Short, unstressed vowel; lips close lightly; keep the /p/ release crisp. -teɪ/ Clear long vowel; mouth opens for /eɪ/ with mid-high tongue height; jaw drops slightly. -ʃən/ Final shun; combined /ʃ/ and schwa reduction; tip of tongue near the alveolar ridge, lips neutral. -Common substitutions: /juː/ may reduce to /uː/ or /jə/; /teɪ/ reduced to /tə/ in casual speech; /ʃən/ may become /sən/ in rapid speech.
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