4 syllables: a, rrhyth, mi, as. Stress on rrhyth.
ur-ITH-mee-uhz
/ɚˈɪðmiəz/
arrhythmias is pronounced ur-ITH-mee-uhz (/ɚˈɪðmiəz/). It has four syllables (a-rrhyth-mi-as), with the stress on "rrhyth". Arrhythmias are abnormalities of the heart’s rhythm, where the heartbeat is too fast, too slow, or irregular. The term is used in medical contexts to describe disturbances in the normal sinus rhythm. Understanding arrhythmias involves recognizing electrical conduction issues, symptoms, and appropriate diagnostic and treatment considerations.
Arrhythmias are abnormalities of the heart’s rhythm, where the heartbeat is too fast, too slow, or irregular. The term is used in medical contexts to describe disturbances in the normal sinus rhythm. Understanding arrhythmias involves recognizing electrical conduction issues, symptoms, and appropriate diagnostic and treatment considerations.
"The patient underwent tests to determine if the arrhythmias were due to an electrical conduction problem."
"Abnormally fast ventricular arrhythmias can be life-threatening and require immediate attention."
"The cardiologist discussed treatment options for the arrhythmias, including medications and possible ablation."
Break it as a-RITH-mee-uhz (US: ˌæɹɪˈθmɪəz or US: ə- RI TH- me- as). Primary stress tends to fall on the -thmia- segment: a-RITH-mee-uhz; the 'rr' is not pronounced as a trilled 'r' but as a standard English /r/ after a. The middle 'rh' combines to an /r/ plus a light schwa in the final syllables, producing the '-mias' ending. IPA references: US ˌæɹɪˈθmiː. UK/US share rhotic realizations, with UK often a little clipped: /ˌæɹɪˈθmiː.ə/.
Common mistakes: (1) stressing the wrong syllable (failing to stress the -thm-; say a-RITH-mah- as if ending is -mas); (2) mispronouncing 'rh' as a hard 'r' followed by 'h' sounds; treat 'rh' as the /r/ plus a subtle /h/ within the sibilant cluster; (3) pronouncing the ending as -ias with a long 'a' or 'eye' sound; instead use a muted schwa or /ɪ/ for the -ia- followed by /z/. Correct by mapping syllables: a-rith-mee-uhz, with a light /m/ before /j/.
US: pronounced with rhotic /ɹ/ and a clear /æ/ or /ə/ in the first syllable, stress on the -thmi-: /ˌæɹɪˈθmiːəz/. UK: similar, but vowel quality tends to be shorter and crisper; sometimes /ˌærɪˈθmiːəz/. AU: often softer vowels, may reduce to /ˌæɹɪˈθmiːəz/ with less emphasis on the second syllable; non-rhotic tendencies are rare in general medical speech but can appear in connected speech.
Because it combines dental-alveolar /θ/ with the 'rrh' cluster and a multisyllabic rhythm. The 'th' as /θ/ or /ð/ is unusual for many speakers when paired with the preceding 'r' in arr-, and the second vowel is often reduced, making the sequence a-RITH-mee-uhz challenging. The final /z/ must be voiced clearly, and the stress placement on the -mi- syllable requires muscular memory to avoid slipping into a pattern like a-RITH-mah-.
A unique feature is the internal 'rh' cluster that produces a rapid transition from an /r/ to a voiceless /θ/ or voiced /ð/ this is followed by an /m/ and a trailing /j/?a/ toward /ɪə/ depending on dialect; the key is keeping the /r/ immediately before the dental fricative softly connected and maintaining correct syllable timing: a-RITH-mi-as.
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US: rhotic, subtle diaeresis; UK: slightly shorter vowels, less rounded; AU: more relaxed vowels, slightly lasered final /z/. Vowel quality differences: US tends to a clearer /æ/ in 'a', UK leans toward /æ/ but with clipped vowels; AU can be more centralized. Consonants: /θ/ is present in arrhythmias; ensure you articulate dental fricative with tip of tongue between teeth and blow air; /r/ should be a smooth alveolar approximant. IPA references: US /ˌæɹɪˈθmiːəz/, UK /ˌæɹɪˈθmiːəz/, AU /ˌæɹɪˈθmiːəz/.
Arrhythmia comes from the Greek prefix a- meaning ‘without’ or ‘not,’ rhuthmos meaning ‘rhythm’ (root from rhein, ‘to flow’). The medical term entered English in the 19th–20th centuries, aligning with advances in cardiology and the formalization of rhythm disorders. The base word rhythm has long history in Greek medical and scientific texts, with the modern compound arrhythmia first appearing in clinical descriptions of heart conduction disturbances as physicians sought to name rhythms that did not follow the normal sinus pattern. First known usage appears in medical literature around the late 19th or early 20th century as electrocardiography emerged and physicians differentiated bradycardia, tachycardia, and arrhythmia as distinct phenomena. Over time, the plural form arrhythmias evolved to describe multiple instances or various types across patients and contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "arrhythmias"
-ias sounds
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