4 syllables: Ce, pha, lal, gia. Stress on lal.
suh-fuh-LAL-juh
/səfəˈlældʒə/
Cephalalgia is pronounced suh-fuh-LAL-juh (/səfəˈlældʒə/). It has four syllables (Ce-pha-lal-gia), with the stress on "lal". Cephalalgia is a medical term meaning headache. It refers to pain or discomfort in the head, typically arising from a variety of causes, and is often used in clinical contexts and scholarly writing. The word itself is not commonly spoken in everyday conversation but is essential in medical discourse and literature.
nounCephalalgia is a medical term meaning headache. It refers to pain or discomfort in the head, typically arising from a variety of causes, and is often used in clinical contexts and scholarly writing. The word itself is not commonly spoken in everyday conversation but is essential in medical discourse and literature.
How to Pronounce Cephalalgia
"The patient reported cephalalgia lasting several hours after the migraine onset."
"A physician documented cephalalgia as part of the differential diagnosis."
"Researchers analyzed the incidence of cephalalgia in relation to environmental triggers."
Pronounce as /ˌsɛfəˈlældʒə/ in US-style transcription, with stress on the fourth syllable’s content and secondary stress on the third: fe LAL. In UK practice, you may hear /ˌsɛfəˈlaldʒə/ or /ˌsɛfəlˈældʒiə/. Break it as ce-pha-LAL-gi-a, with the primary emphasis on the second-to-last syllable. Mouth positions: start with a soft /s/, a short /ə/ in the first syllable, a clear /f/ or /fəl/ cluster, then a light, palatal affricate /lɪdʒ/ approximating “lalgia” sound, ending with a schwa-like /ə/ or /ə/ depending on accent. Audio reference: consult medical pronunciation audio from Pronounce or Forvo for native speaker samples.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (trying to emphasize the final syllable) and mispronouncing the /lɑldʒ/ segment as /ldʒ/ or /əlˈʤiə/. Another frequent mistake is treating the ending as a hard ‘g’ sound instead of the soft /dʒ/ like “j.” Focus on the fourth syllable for primary stress and ensure the /lɪdʒ/ portion has a soft palate glide into /dʒ/. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘cephalo-’ vs ‘cephalic’ to stabilize the -algia ending.
US: stress often on the third or fourth syllable: /ˌsɛfəˈlæl.dʒə/ with less emphasis on the final /ə/. UK: may show slightly crisper /ˌsef.əˈladʒ.i.ə/ and stronger vowel clarity in the final /iə/. AU: similar to UK but with flatter intonation and a more centralized final syllable; the rhotic /r/ is not pronounced in standard Australian English, so there is no rhotic /r/ influence. Across all accents, the /dʒ/ in the penultimate syllable remains the key distinguishing feature; ensure the palatal-approximant quality is clear rather than a hard stop.
It’s challenging because of the unfamiliar four-syllable rhythm and the /dʒ/ sound following a consonant cluster, which can blur in rapid speech. The /l/ in the /lɑl/ sequence can combine with the /dʒ/ to create a tricky blend; English learners also tend to stress the final syllable or misplace the primary stress. Break into syllables CE-pha-LAL-gi-a, use a clear /dʒ/ and maintain a relaxed jaw to avoid rushing the vowels.
Cephalalgia has no silent letters in standard pronunciation, but English learners may misstate the -algia ending as -algia with a muted or elided vowel in rapid speech. In careful speech, each syllable is enunciated: ce-pha-LAL-ga, ending with a light /ə/ or /ɪə/ depending on accent. The main listening cue is the /dʒ/ in the penultimate syllable and the secondary stress pattern rather than any silent letter.
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US: US vowels often reduce unstressed syllables to schwa, with a strong /æ/ in the first syllable and a clear /dʒ/ in the penultimate syllable. UK: slightly crisper consonants, with more precise /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ in the central vowels and a less rhotic ending. AU: tends to be flatter vowels; final /ə/ can be more centralized; the /dʒ/ remains distinct. IPA references: US /ˌsɛfəˈlældʒə/, UK /ˌsɛfəˈlæl.dʒi.ə/, AU similar to UK with a slightly more centralized final syllable. Practice with minimal pairs to reinforce the /dʒ/ and the vowel lengths across accents.
Cephalalgia derives from the Greek kephalē, meaning head, and algos, meaning pain. The Greek root kephalē is linked to Latin caput and English cephalo-, seen in words like cephalic and hydrocephalus. Algía or -algia is a common medical suffix signifying pain. The term entered English medical usage in the 19th century as physicians adopted Greek-derived vocabulary to describe clinical phenomena precisely. Early usage appeared in pharmacology and neurology texts and gradually broadened to scholarly articles addressing headache disorders. Over time, cephalalgia has remained a formal, technical term favored in clinical descriptions, case reports, and etiological discussions, though more everyday terms like headache are used in general conversation. The word preserves etymological clarity by directly signaling “head pain” through its roots, which aids precise communication in medical contexts, research summaries, and differential diagnosis discussions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Cephalalgia" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Cephalalgia" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Cephalalgia"
-gia sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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