4 syllables: Bu, li, mi, a. Stress on li.
byoo-LIM-ee-uh
/bjuˈlɪmiə/
Bulimia is pronounced byoo-LIM-ee-uh (/bjuˈlɪmiə/). It has four syllables (Bu-li-mi-a), with the stress on "li". Bulimia is a clinical eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors, such as purging, to prevent weight gain. It is a serious, treatable condition that can affect physical health and psychological well-being. The term is used in medical and psychological contexts to describe this specific pattern of eating and behavior.
nounBulimia is a clinical eating disorder characterized by recurrent binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors, such as purging, to prevent weight gain. It is a serious, treatable condition that can affect physical health and psychological well-being. The term is used in medical and psychological contexts to describe this specific pattern of eating and behavior.
"She sought help for bulimia after realizing the cycle of bingeing and purging was harming her health."
"The psychologist discussed bulimia as part of a broader eating-disorder assessment."
"Public health campaigns aim to raise awareness about bulimia and its resources."
Pronounce bulimia as /ˌbjuːˈliː.mi.ə/ in US/UK/AU. The primary stress lands on the second syllable 'li', with the first part sounding like 'byoo' (b- with you) and the final '-mia' as 'mee-uh'. For clarity: boom to be explicit: byoo-LEE-mee-uh, with a clear 'li' syllable and a gentle ending. IPA guides: US /ˌbjuːˈliː.mi.ə/, UK /ˌbjuːˈlɪm.i.ə/; AU resembles UK but often yields a slightly shorter final schwa. Audio reference: try Pronounce or Forvo sample words with similar rhythm, then practice the full term. Try starting slow, then increase tempo while maintaining the stress on LI. Remember the optional linker sound between syllables in fast speech.
Common errors include misplacing the stress on the first syllable (BU- li- mia) or flattening the 'li' sound to a dull schwa. Another frequent mistake is merging the two vowels in the final 'mia' into a single vowel sound, producing 'mee-uh' or 'mee-ah' inconsistently. Correct by emphasizing the secondary stress on LI with a clear 'li' as /liː/, and ensure the ending /mi.ə/ has a light, two-part ending. Practice with minimal pairs like 'bully' vs 'bulimia' to feel the rhythm, and record yourself to adjust the pitch and cadence.
Across US/UK/AU, the main variation is in the vowel of the first syllable and the 'li' quality. US tends toward /ˌbjuːˈliː.mi.ə/ with a long 'u' in the second syllable and rhotic parenthesis; UK often has /ˌbjuːˈlɪm.i.ə/ with a shorter 'i' in LI and less rhotic influence; AU is similar to UK but can reduce the final vowel slightly, giving a lighter ending. The stress stays on LI across dialects. Ensure the 'ju' onset is a syllabic 'ju:' and maintain the two-part 'mia' ending. Listen to native speakers and adjust your vowel length and rhoticity accordingly.
The difficulty comes from the combination of the 'ju' onset (a 'yoo' sound) followed by a long 'ee' vowel in LI and a trailing 'a' in final -a. The sequence demands precise control of tongue height and lip rounding: /j/ + /uː/ quickly, then a bright /liː/ before a soft /miə/. Non-native speakers may misplace stress or reduce /liː/ to /lɪ/ or mispronounce the final schwa. Practice with slow enunciation, then speed up while maintaining the stress and vowel quality. Recording helps you hear the subtlepalate movement and ensure the 'ju' blends smoothly into /liː/ without breaking the syllable rhythm.
A unique aspect is the contrast between the 'j' onset in /juː/ and the high front vowel /iː/ in LI; many learners pause or mispronounce the boundary, creating a 'you-lee-mee-ah' feel instead of a smooth 'byeoo-LEE-mee-uh'. Focus on the tight jaw and forward tongue position for /juː/, then transition quickly to the tense high front /iː/ in LI. The rhythm is 2-1-1-1: two phonemes in first syllable, then two in LI, and one in each of the final two syllables. This unique pattern can trip learners; regular practice with audio references helps.
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Bulimia derives from the Latin bulimus, linked to the Greek boulimia (basically 'ox food' or 'cow hunger'), a combination of bowls of energy and hunger. The root bol- relates to appetite or greed, and -emia denotes a condition of the blood in medical terminology; however, for bulimia nervosa, the term was co-opted to describe a binge-purge pattern. The word emerges in medical literature in the 1970s, aligning with the formalization of eating disorders as distinct clinical entities. The early usage identified bulimia as a qualitative description of recurrent binge episodes followed by compensatory behaviors. Over time, the term has been refined within DSM classifications, emphasizing the behavioral pattern and its medical implications rather than moral judgments about eating. The precise spelling and pronunciation were standardized through English medical discourse and psychological manuals, with the stress pattern on the second syllable (bu-LI-mi-a) and a phonetic focus on the long i in -li- and the schwa in -mia as a notable feature of English adaptation from the classical roots.
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Words that rhyme with "Bulimia"
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