4 syllables: bi, o, log, ists. Stress on o.
beye-AH-luh-jists
/baɪˈɑlədʒɪsts/
biologists is pronounced beye-AH-luh-jists (/baɪˈɑlədʒɪsts/). It has four syllables (bi-o-log-ists), with the stress on "o". Biologists are scientists who study living organisms, their structures, functions, and interactions. The term combines biology with the plural noun form for professionals in the field. It implies expertise across multiple subfields and research contexts, often in academic or lab settings.
Biologists are scientists who study living organisms, their structures, functions, and interactions. The term combines biology with the plural noun form for professionals in the field. It implies expertise across multiple subfields and research contexts, often in academic or lab settings.
- You often mis-stress the word, placing emphasis on the first syllable or spreading stress across 'bi-o-'. Solution: deliberately compress to /baɪˈɒl/ with clear secondary onset then phrase out the remainder. - The 'log' part may be pronounced as a hard 'g' or clipped; aim for the /lɒl/ with a genuine /dʒ/ after the l, not a blunt 'logj'. - The suffix 'ists' can be clipped to 'ists' or 'ists' with reduced vowel. Target /-ədʒɪsts/ to keep the 'j' sound and the final 'sts'. Practice with minimal pairs like 'biologists' vs 'biologist s' to maintain correct plural grouping.
"Biologists gathered samples from the mangroves to study ecosystem dynamics."
"The biologists presented their findings at the international conference."
"Biologists rely on precise terminology when describing cellular processes."
Pronounce as /baɪˈɒlədʒɪsts/ (UK) or /baɪˈɑːlədʒɪsts/ (US). The primary stress falls on the second syllable: bio-LO-gists. Break it into three parts: 'bi(o)' sounding like 'bye-oh', 'log' sounding like 'lohldʒ' (with a soft 'j' as in 'judge'), and 'ists' like 'ihsts'. Practice slowly: bye-ol-o-ji-sts; then blend quickly for natural speech.
Common errors: 1) misplacing stress on the first syllable, saying /ˈbaɪələdʒɪsts/; 2) mispronouncing the 'log' as 'lowdʒ' or 'log-uh' with reduced 'o' quality; 3) blending the suffix and root too tightly so 'biologists' sounds like 'biol-uh-jists'. Correction: keep the second syllable stressed, ensure /lɒdʒ/ is pronounced with an 'l' and a /dʒ/ immediately after, and end with /ɪsts/ with clear /ɪ/ before /sts/.
US typically uses /baɪˈɑːlədʒɪsts/ with a longer 'a' in the second syllable and rhoticity influencing the 'r' if present in connected speech; UK uses /baɪˈɒlədʒɪsts/ with shorter /ɒ/ and non-rhotic 'r'. Australian often has /baɪˈɒlədʒɪsts/ with a broader vowel in /ɒ/ and a slightly softer /tʃ/ sound in rapid speech. In all, the primary stress on the second syllable remains, but vowel quality and the exact realization of /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ vary.
The difficulty stems from the three-syllable structure with the /ˈɒl/ or /ˈɑːl/ segment and the /dʒ/ in the middle, followed by /ɪsts/. This creates a cluster: /-lɒl-ə-dʒ-ɪsts/ where blending the /dʒ/ smoothly with 'l' and the 'st' cluster requires precise tongue movement. Additionally, the unstressed third and fourth syllables can become reduced in casual speech, risking mispronunciation of the 'log' and 'gists' components. Practice keeping stress clear while maintaining fluid consonants.
In rapid speech, you may hear slight lateralization or gliding where the /l/ may sound lighter or the /g/ softened toward /dʒ/. However, the core phonemes /baɪ/ /ˈɒl/ /ə/ /dʒɪ/ /sts/ remain recognizable. You can prevent loss by keeping a small, precise tongue tip contact for /l/ and a crisp /dʒ/ release before /ɪsts/. Practicing with slower phrases and then speeding up helps preserve these consonants.
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- US: emphasize rhotics subtly in connected speech; ensure /ɒ/ length resembles 'a' in 'cot' but elongated slightly. - UK: use a shorter /ɒ/ and clear /dʒ/; non-rhotic r means the 'r' is silent unless linking. - AU: /ɒ/ often broader; may flatten vowels slightly; keep the secondary stress on the 'lo' syllable; use a more relaxed mouth posture for /ɪ/ in 'ists'. Use IPA guides to fine-tune vowels: /aɪ/ as in 'by' and /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/.
The word biologist comes from the combining form bio- meaning “life” (from Greek bios) and the suffix -logy meaning “the study of” (from Greek logia). The -ist suffix indicates a person who practices or is associated with something. The first element 'bio-' has roots in ancient Greek (bios). The term biology emerged in the 18th century, attributed to German naturalists and British scientists who formalized the study of life as a coherent field. The -logy suffix appeared in scientific coinages during the 19th century as disciplines like geology and zoology defined themselves as fields of study. The plural form biologists exists to denote multiple practitioners in the field; the word can be traced in scholarly usage from the late 19th to early 20th century as biology expanded from a theory into a professional, laboratory-centered discipline.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "biologists" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "biologists"
-me) sounds
-sts sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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