5 syllables: A, zo, te, mi, a. Stress on te.
ay-zoh-TEE-mee-uh
/eɪ zoʊ ˈtiː mi ə/
Azotemia is pronounced ay-zoh-TEE-mee-uh (/eɪ zoʊ ˈtiː mi ə/). It has five syllables (A-zo-te-mi-a), with the stress on "te". Azotemia is a medical term describing elevated nitrogen-containing compounds, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood. It is not a disease itself but a laboratory finding that can indicate kidney dysfunction or other issues affecting renal filtration. Proper pronunciation helps you discuss diagnoses and lab results clearly in clinical contexts.
nounAzotemia is a medical term describing elevated nitrogen-containing compounds, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood. It is not a disease itself but a laboratory finding that can indicate kidney dysfunction or other issues affecting renal filtration. Proper pronunciation helps you discuss diagnoses and lab results clearly in clinical contexts.
"The patient’s azotemia prompted further nephrology testing."
"Chronic kidney disease can lead to persistent azotemia even when symptoms are mild."
"Acute kidney injury may cause sudden azotemia that responds to treatment."
Azotemia is pronounced a-zo-TE-mee-uh with the primary stress on the third syllable. IPA: US ˌæz.oʊˈtiːmiə, UK ˌæz.əˈtiː.mi.ə, AU ˌæz.ɒˈtiː.mi.ə. Start with /æ/ (as in cat), move to /z/, then /oʊ/ or /ə/ depending on accent, stress the /tiː/ sequence, then /mi/ and schwa. Keep the /z/ voice soft, avoid a heavy /z/ digraph, and end with a light /ə/ or /ə/ depending on rhythm.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing stress on the first or second syllable) and mispronouncing the final -emia as a long ’ee-uh’ rather than ’mee-uh’. Another pitfall is flattening the central unstressed syllables, producing a choppy rhythm. Correct by practicing a clear /æz/ onset, a subtle /oʊ/ or /ə/ in the second syllable, and a strong /ˈtiː.mi.ə/ in the third and fourth parts. Use word levels: /æz oʊˈtiː.mi.ə/**/æz.əˈtiː.mi.ə/**/æz.ɒˈtiː.mi.ə/ depending on dialect.
In US, you’ll hear /ˌæz.oʊˈtiː.mi.ə/ with a rhotic influence and a clear /oʊ/ in the second syllable. UK tends toward a sharper /ə/ in the second vowel and a smoother transition to /ˈtiː.mi.ə/ with non-rhoticity affecting the r-coloring elsewhere. Australian English often features a broader /ɒ/ in the first vowel and a more centralized /ɪ/ or /iː/ in the final syllables, with a slightly less stressed middle. Rhotics are less pronounced in UK and AU. IPA references per dialect help refine accuracy.
Key challenges are the sequence of vowels in the middle and the final -emia suffix, which varies in unstressed syllables. The /z/ and /oʊ/ may blur into a single syllable for some speakers, and the /tiː/ cluster can feel tricky when moving quickly. The tertiary stress across four syllables also requires careful timing to avoid crowding the /tiː/ with the preceding /z/. Practice segmenting into 3-4 clear syllables and anchor the 'tiː' as the peak syllable.
Yes—emphasize the /tiː/ in the third syllable as the primary peak of the word, and treat the final /ə/ as a light, quick ending. The initial /æz/ should be crisp, with the /z/ voiced but not elongated. The middle /oʊ/ or /ə/ varies by accent; maintaining a steady tempo around the third syllable helps keep the word intelligible in clinical narration.
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Azotemia comes from the Greek prefix a- (negation) combined with zōtos (to be boiled or effervesced) in the sense of waste products, and from the New Latin -emia (blood condition). The term reflects excess nitrogenous waste in the bloodstream. First appearing in medical literature in the late 19th to early 20th century, azotemia was used to describe laboratory findings before the modern distinction between prerenal, intrinsic, and postrenal causes was established. Over time, it became a standard diagnostic descriptor in nephrology, closely tied to measurements of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. The morphology mirrors older terms like uremia, though azotemia specifically denotes elevated waste products in blood without implying overt clinical symptomatology. Its usage expanded with advances in renal biochemistry and the understanding that nitrogenous waste accumulation can be a precursor to symptomatic uremia if untreated.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Azotemia" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Azotemia"
-mia sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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