4 syllables: A, re, o, la. Stress on o.
ar-ee-OH-luh
/æɹiˈoʊlə/
Areola is pronounced ar-ee-OH-luh (/æɹiˈoʊlə/). It has four syllables (A-re-o-la), with the stress on "o". Areola refers to the pigmented circular area surrounding a nipple or a similar circular zone in botanical contexts. In medical and anatomical usage, it denotes this pigmented ring around the nipple; in botany or emblematic descriptions, it can refer to any circular, colored ring. The term is primarily used in anatomy, dermatology, and biology discussions, and is pronounced with attention to syllable stress. It is a multi-use anatomical term often encountered in medical texts and patient education.
nounAreola refers to the pigmented circular area surrounding a nipple or a similar circular zone in botanical contexts. In medical and anatomical usage, it denotes this pigmented ring around the nipple; in botany or emblematic descriptions, it can refer to any circular, colored ring. The term is primarily used in anatomy, dermatology, and biology discussions, and is pronounced with attention to syllable stress. It is a multi-use anatomical term often encountered in medical texts and patient education.
- Misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable, leading to /ˈærəloʊ/ instead of /ˌærɪˈoʊlə/. Practice by clapping the syllable beats and marking the peak on the second beat. - Ignoring the diphthong in the second syllable, pronouncing it as a pure /o/ or /ə/; ensure the mouth opens and closes around the /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ quality. - Final syllable reduction, where final -la becomes a mere schwa or is dropped; keep a light, velar-lip release for /lə/.
How to Pronounce Areola
"The doctor marked the areola to help identify the skin changes."
"During examination, the areola can show hormonal or age-related changes."
"The tattoo artist placed the design around the areola to ensure symmetry."
Areola is stressed on the second syllable: ar-EO-la. In IPA for US: /ˌærɪˈoʊlə/; UK: /ˌærɪˈəʊlə/; AU: /ˌæɹɪˈoːlə/. Start with a light, quick 'are' (æ-r), place the peak stress on the second syllable with an open 'o' sound, then finish with 'la' with a schwa-light ending. You’ll hear the middle vowel move from /ɪ/ to /oʊ/ depending on accent. Remember the initial /æ/ in all varieties, then the emphasis on the second syllable.
Common mistakes include misplacing stress (placing it on the first syllable: /ˈærəˌloʊ/), treating the second syllable as a simple /o/ instead of /oʊ/ or /əʊ/, and adding extra syllables (saying /ˈæɹ.i.'oʊ.lə/ with a ballooned rhythm). Correct by clearly rising intonation on the second syllable and using a clean /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ vowel. Keep the final -la light and unstressed. Recording yourself and comparing to native samples helps catch these errors.
US typically uses /ˌærɪˈoʊlə/, with a clear /oʊ/ in the second syllable and a rhotic vowel early on. UK tends to /ˌærɪˈəʊlə/, with a slightly tighter /əʊ/ diphthong and less rhotic influence. Australian accent often reduces the second syllable toward /ˈəːlə/ or keeps /oː/ depending on speaker, with more centralized vowels. Across all, the primary shift is the treatment of the second syllable’s vowel: /oʊ/ (US) vs /əʊ/ (UK/AU).
Difficulties come from the two-stress pattern with a diphthong in the second syllable and the final unstressed -la can blur in casual speech. The middle /ɪ/ may reduce toward a schwa in connected speech, and the /oʊ/ can slide toward /o/ or /əʊ/ across accents. Also, the sequence /-ri-/ can be tricky because speakers may misplace the tongue in /ɹ/ followed by a rounded vowel. Concentrate on precise vowel quality and stable stress to avoid common errors.
The word contains a three-syllable pattern with stress on the second syllable, and the sequence /ˌæ r ɪ ˈ oʊ l ə/ requires maintaining a clear second-syllable peak before a relaxed final syllable. Unlike many two-syllable medical terms, the areola’s second syllable carries asymmetric rhythm: a lighter first, a strong second, and a soft ending. IPA references guide accurate pronunciation: /ˌærɪˈoʊlə/ (US).
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- US: emphasize the second syllable with a clear /oʊ/ diphthong; keep the first syllable shorter. /ˌærɪˈoʊlə/ - UK: the second syllable tends to be /əʊ/ with slightly less vowel length; /ˌærɪˈəʊlə/ - AU: often similar to UK, but with more vowel centralization in casual speech; watch for /ɹ/ or non-rhotic tendencies. Use IPA cues and keep final /lə/ light. - General: maintain three distinct syllables, avoid compressing /ɪ/ into a schwa in the first two.
Areola comes from Latin areola, meaning ‘little open space, small area,’ diminutive of area. The root area itself traces to Latin ars, ‘area, open space,’ with the diminutive -ola signaling ‘little area.’ The term entered English medical vocabulary via late Latin and Renaissance-era anatomical texts, likely through translations of Galenic and early anatomical writings that described the circumference around the nipple as the areola. Over time, the word broadened in dermatology and anatomy to denote any small circular or ring-shaped area around a central feature. In modern usage, it remains most common in breast anatomy (nipple-areolar complex) but also appears in botany and design descriptions to describe circular markings around structures. First known printed uses emerged in 16th- to 17th-century medical glossaries, aligning with the era’s surge of anatomical illustration and Latin-to-English medical glossaries. The word’s sense shifted from a general “little area” to a precise anatomical term, retaining the idea of a defined circular zone around a central feature. Contemporary usage keeps the diminutive nuance, emphasizing a small, distinct ring or zone around a focal point.
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Words that rhyme with "Areola"
-ola sounds
-ora sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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