Anencephaly is a severe neural tube defect characterized by the incomplete development of major portions of the brain and skull. It is a fatal condition diagnosed prenatally or at birth, with limited or no survival outside the womb. The term combines Greek roots referring to without brain and head, reflecting the grievous nature of the anomaly.
"Doctors discussed the diagnosis of anencephaly with the family after imaging confirmed the condition."
"In medical contexts, reporting anencephaly requires sensitive language and clear, concise terminology."
"Public health researchers study anencephaly incidence to identify potential preventive factors."
"Some clinicians specialize in prenatal counseling to support families facing anencephaly diagnoses."
Anencephaly comes from the Greek an-, meaning without; en-, in, into; enkephalon from en-, in, and kephale, head; and -ly, a suffix forming adjectives or nouns. The term first appeared in English medical literature in the 19th century as physicians sought precise descriptors for congenital conditions affecting the brain and skull. Historically, “anencephaly” was used alongside related terms such as exencephaly to differentiate degrees of brain development anomalies. The word’s construction mirrors other neural-tube defect terms: a negative prefix (an-) attached to a root denoting brain (enkephalos), then the -y suffix to form a condition or state. Over time, “anencephaly” became the standard clinical label in obstetrics, pediatrics, and neurology, accompanying diagnostic imaging descriptions and discussions of prognosis, prevention (folic acid supplementation), and ethical considerations around prenatal care.
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Words that rhyme with "Anencephaly"
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- Pronounce as AN-ə-ˈNÉS-fə-lē with primary stress on the second syllable: an-ə-NÉS-fə-lee. IPA: US ˌæ.nənˈɛs.fə.li; UK ˌændənˈɛs.fə.li. Note the middle -né- (néS) carries the vowel /ɛ/ and the final -ly/lee sounds like /li/. Start with a light but clear initial 'a' sound, then stress the 'NÉS' syllable, and finish with a soft, syllable-timed '-fə-lee'.
Common errors include: (1) misplacing stress by pronouncing it as a flat four-syllable word; ensure primary stress on the second syllable (an-ə-NÉS-fə-lee). (2) Vowel conflation, especially pronouncing /æ/ too long in the first syllable; keep a short, crisp /æ/ or /ə/ in the first dash. (3) Slurring the -phy as -fi or -lee; pronounce the final -ly clearly as /li/ with an explicit /l/ and weak /i/.
In US and UK, you’ll hear stress on the second syllable (an-ə-NÉS-fə-lee). US often has a shorter first syllable and a slightly raised last vowel; UK may exhibit a more rounded /ɪ/ or /iː/ in the final syllable depending on speaker. Australian tends to reduce unstressed vowels a bit more, with the final -ly sounding close to /liː/ in casual speech. Overall, the core /ˈnɛs/ sequence remains stable across varieties.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure with three connected affixes and a three-vowel sequence that includes a near-schwa in the first syllable and a high front vowel in the second. The cluster -encephal- has a tricky transition: /ənˈsɛf/ vs /-nɛs-/; and the final -ly adds a light, unstressed syllable. Mastery requires precise syllable timing, clear /æ/ or /ə/ in the initial syllable, and a crisp /s/ before the /f/.
There are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation. All letters contribute to the spoken form, with stress on the second syllable and a clear /s/ before the /f/ in the middle syllable. The sequence en-ce-pha-ly maps to /ənˈɛs.fə.li/, where every consonant and vowel participates in the rhythm. Focus on producing the /n/ cluster and the /s/ before /f/ to avoid a mispronunciation like /æˈnɛn.sefəli/.
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