3 syllables: an, eu, rysms. Stress on an.
AN-yuh-riz-uhmz
/ˈæn.jəˌrɪ.zəmz/
aneurysms is pronounced AN-yuh-riz-uhmz (/ˈæn.jəˌrɪ.zəmz/). It has three syllables (an-eu-rysms), with the stress on "an". Aneurysms are abnormal, balloon-like bulges in blood vessels that can rupture and cause serious health events. The term is used in medical contexts to describe these localized dilations, most often in arteries. Proper pronunciation highlights the three syllables and the initial “a-NEUR-” cluster, which can be tricky due to the rare stress pattern in multisyllabic medical terms.
Aneurysms are abnormal, balloon-like bulges in blood vessels that can rupture and cause serious health events. The term is used in medical contexts to describe these localized dilations, most often in arteries. Proper pronunciation highlights the three syllables and the initial “a-NEUR-” cluster, which can be tricky due to the rare stress pattern in multisyllabic medical terms.
"The surgeon discussed an abdominal aneurysm and the potential risks of treatment."
"Researchers study cerebral aneurysms to understand factors leading to rupture."
"Aneurysms require careful imaging to determine size and rupture risk."
Pronounce as /ˌæn.jʊˈrɪz əm z/ in US/UK/AU. Break into three main syllables: AN- (short a as in cat), yu- (yoo sound as in you, with a light 'j' tie), RIZ (rhymes with 'hiz'), -ems (z sound at end). The primary stress is on the second syllable: yen-YOOR-iz-ehmz with the 'r' linking to the 'iz'. Mouth position: start with a relaxed open front vowel, then a quick high-front rounded 'yoo' sound, followed by a crisp 'riz' and a final voiceless 'emz' with z at the end. Audio resources like Pronounce or Forvo can reinforce this exact flow.
Two common errors: misplacing stress by saying an-yoor-ISMS or tiba-NEUR-iz-ems. Correct by emphasizing the second syllable: a-NYU-riz-ems, with the 'yu' as a quick 'you' sound and the 'riz' clearly voiced. Another mistake is reducing or swallowing the middle /j/ glide: keep /j/ as a light y-phoneme between 'an' and 'yu'. Practice with a slow glide from /æ/ to /j/ then into /r/.
In US and UK, the 'r' is rhotic; you’ll hear a pronounced /r/ before the vowel, affecting the /ˌæn.jʊˈrɪz/ portion. UK non-rhotic tendency reduces post-vocalic 'r' in many contexts, but multisyllabic medical terms often retain it; Australian tends toward rhotic but with a softer 'r' and more centralized vowels. Vowel quality can shift: US often has a tenser /ɪ/ in 'riz' and a clearer /j/ glide; UK may show a slightly shorter vowel in the second syllable and a more forward /æ/ in 'an'.
Because it blends a rare cluster: the //nyu/ glide after /æ/ and a stressed /rɪz/ with an immediate final /əmz/ or /z/ cluster. The sequence /æ n j u/ demands tight tongue advancement and a quick move from front to near-palatal position, while maintaining voicing on /r/ and /z/. The final /mz/ cluster is also tricky, requiring simultaneous voicing and syllable closure. Mastery comes from practicing the glide and the consonant cluster separately before merging.
There is no separate vowel letter spoken as a silent e in aneurysms; the word is pronounced as three syllables with the vowels grouped as /æ/ - /jʊ/ - /rɪz/ - /əmz/ in typical renderings, but the final /ə/ can be schwa in rapid speech, yielding /ˌæn.jʊˈrɪzəmz/. The e-carrying effect is historical in spelling rather than spoken; focus on the phonetic flow rather than letter-by-letter magic.
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Aneurysm comes from the Greek ἀνευρυσμός (aneurysmós) meaning 'a widening' or 'dilatation' in a blood vessel, from ἀνευρύειν (aneurýein) 'to dilate, widen' (prefix a- 'not' + neuros-'neuron' root? no, but relates to nɛuros? actually). It passes into Latin aneurysmus and then Middle English medical Latin usage. The root aneurysmós is derived from ana- 'up, again' and euros 'to widen', with the sense of widening vessel. In English, the term stabilized in medical texts by 19th century as imaging technologies highlighted vascular bulges. The word’s first known use in English appears in late 17th to 18th century medical writings as anatomical descriptions moved from general to precise vascular pathology. Over time, aneurysm broadened from arterial bulges to include venous aneurysms, though arterial aneurysms predominate in clinical discourse. The spelling and pronunciation have remained stable in modern medical English, with the stress pattern typically on the second syllable (an-EUR-y-sms).
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Words that rhyme with "aneurysms"
-sms sounds
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