Autopsy is a noun referring to a postmortem examination performed to determine the cause of death. It involves a detailed inspection of the body, organs, and tissues, often conducted by a medical examiner or pathologist. The term is used in medical, forensic, and legal contexts and is pronounced with careful attention to syllable timing and phoneme precision.
- You may drop syllable-consciousness: treat autopsy as three distinct syllables; don’t run /ɒ/ into /p/. Practice by segmenting: /ˈɔː/ - /tɒ/ - /psi/ and then blend. - Middle vowel confusion: swap /ɒ/ for a schwa /ə/ or /ɪ/. Correct by focusing on a rounded back vowel in the second syllable, with crisp /t/ closure before it. - Final cluster: /ps/ vs /p/ + /s/: ensure you pronounce both plosive and sibilant: /p/ release + /s/ immediately before /i/; don’t smear into /si/ without a stop. - Rate and rhythm: rushing makes /ˈɔː.tɒp.si/ collapse. Slow to moderate pace; then speed while maintaining syllable integrity. - Lip and jaw posture: keep the lips rounded for /ɔː/ and /ɒ/ even though you may speak quickly in casual speech, which often flattens the rounded quality.
- US: retain the broad /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ in the second syllable; the /ɔː/ quality often matches the 'thought' vowel in many speakers. Non-rhotic tendencies won’t alter the final /si/ much; focus on the /p/ release before the /s/. - UK: similar to US but with slightly tighter jaw for RP-like articulation; keep the first syllabletense and the /ɒ/ back-rounded. Smooth the transition from /t/ to /ɒ/. - AU: tends toward a broader, more open /ɒ/; allow the middle vowel to be a purer back vowel, with less diphthongal shift. Maintain crisp /t/ and /p/ release and clear /si/ ending. IPA guidance: US/UK /ˈɔː.tɒp.si/, AU /ˈɒː.tɒp.si/; keep three distinct syllables.
"The coroner ordered an autopsy to confirm the cause of death."
"In medical school, students learn how to perform an autopsy with meticulous technique."
"The autopsy revealed the presence of underlying cardiovascular disease."
"During the trial, autopsy findings were presented as critical evidence."
Autopsy comes from the Greek autos (self) and opsis (seeing, sight), forming a compound that literally means seeing for oneself. The concept emerged in classical medicine as physicians began to systematically observe and interpret the body after death to determine disease or injury. In Latin, the form autopsia was used in the Middle Ages, and it entered English in the 17th century. The word traveled through legal and medical jargon, expanding into forensic usage by the 18th and 19th centuries as public health and criminal investigations required formal determinations of death. The pronunciation stabilized into three syllables: au-to-py, with the final -py often pronounced like -psi in rapid speech, reflecting a typical English render of -opsy. The root elements reflect a clear old-world emphasis on sight and examination, tying the term to the broader tradition of postmortem inquiry that intersects medicine, law, and forensics.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Autopsy" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Autopsy" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Autopsy" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Autopsy"
-spy sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounced as /ˈɔː.tɒp.si/ (US/UK). The first syllable bears primary stress. Begin with an open back rounded vowel in /ɔː/ (like 'or' in 'thought'), then a clear /t/ followed by a short /ɒ/ as in 'cot' and a final /p/ plus /si/ where /s/ is a sibilant and /i/ is a light 'ee' sound. In rapid speech, some speakers may reduce the middle vowel slightly, but keep the -opsy ending distinct. Audio reference you can check is the common pronunciation in medical dictionaries or Forvo entries for 'autopsy.'
Two frequent errors: (1) misplacing stress and saying /ˈɔːt.ɒp.si/ with too little delay between /ɔː/ and /t/, making it sound rushed. (2) the middle vowel being mispronounced as /i/ or /ə/; keep /ɒ/ as in 'cot' rather than an 'uh' sound. Corrections: practice placing primary stress on the first syllable, clearly articulate /t/ before /ɒ/, and ensure the final syllable is /si/ with a crisp /s/ and long /i/. Substituting /juː/ or heavy /i/ in the final can distort the rhythm. Listen to medical diction models to nail the sequence.
US and UK generally share /ˈɔː.tɒp.si/ with stress on first syllable and a broad /ɑ/ or /ɒ/ in the second vowel; rhoticity doesn’t affect this word much since the final is /si/. Australian tends toward a broader, more open /ɒ/ as well, with the initial /ˈɔː/ often realized similarly. Differences are subtle: non-rhotic varieties may have slightly weaker post-vocalic r influence overall, but since there is no rhotic r here, the main variation is vowel quality and length. For all, keep the /si/ clearly enunciated.
Two main challenges: the first syllable has a long /ɔː/ or /ɒ/ that’s not common in all dialects, and the final -opsy combines /p/ and /si/ without intrusive vowels. The middle consonant cluster /t/ followed by a rounded vowel can feel tight if your tongue doesn’t reset quickly. The three-syllable rhythm demands crisp consonants and even syllable timing. Practice breaking into three distinct parts and then blend for natural speed, paying attention to the stop release before the /p/ and the lingering /i/.
A common nuance is whether speakers insert a subtle /ə/ in rapid speech between /t/ and /ɒ/ or coalesce into /tɒ/. In careful diction you should maintain /ˈɔː.tɒp.si/ with a clean stop between /t/ and /ɒ/ and avoid reducing the /ɒ/ into a schwa. Another nuance is ensuring the /p/ is aspirated before the /s/; listeners often mispronounce as /ˈɔːtɒpsi/ with weak /p/. Keeping the plosive release strong helps clarity in medical narration.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Autopsy"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker reading medical reports mentioning autopsy; imitate exactly—timing, stress, and consonant release. - Minimal pairs: compare autopsy with anesthesia/autopsy-like words to feel the stress pattern and vowel differences: e.g., 'autopsy' vs 'oppose-ye'? (Note: find real minimal pairs like 'auto-' prefix words). Use words with similar vowels: /ˈɔː./ vs /ˈɒp./. - Rhythm practice: clap on each syllable: AUT-OP-SY; then speak at a slow pace, then at a comfortable normal pace, ending with a faster pace while keeping clarity. - Stress practice: emphasize the first syllable; practice moving stress slightly between first and second in connected speech to sound natural in sentences. - Recording: record yourself saying autopsy in sentences; compare with dictionary audio; adjust length and intonation to match the model. - Context sentences: “The autopsy report confirmed the cause of death,” “During the autopsy, the pathologist noted…,” “An autopsy is essential in forensic investigations.”
No related words found
