2 syllables: Cer, vix. Stress on Cer.
SUR-viks
/ˈsɝvɪks/
Cervix is pronounced SUR-viks (/ˈsɝvɪks/). It has two syllables (Cer-vix), with the stress on "Cer". Cervix is the narrow lower part of the uterus, forming a canal that opens into the vagina. It serves as a passage for menstrual blood and sperm and plays a key role in childbirth and reproductive health. In medical contexts, it’s used to describe this specific anatomical structure with formal, clinical tone.
nounCervix is the narrow lower part of the uterus, forming a canal that opens into the vagina. It serves as a passage for menstrual blood and sperm and plays a key role in childbirth and reproductive health. In medical contexts, it’s used to describe this specific anatomical structure with formal, clinical tone.
"The doctor explained how to insert the speculum to examine the cervix."
"Cervix health is often monitored during routine gynecological exams."
"During childbirth, the cervix dilates to allow the baby to pass through."
Pronounce as two syllables: /ˈsɜːr.vɪks/. Start with a stressed 'SUR' sound where the vowel is a mid-central to back lax vowel, followed by an r-colored vowel /ɜːr/. The second syllable is a short /vɪks/ with a clear /v/ and a clipped /ɪ/ before /ks/. Tip: avoid stressing the second syllable or turning it into /ˈsɜːrvɪks/. Audio references: consult medical pronunciation guides and dictionaries; you’ll hear the same two-stress pattern across US/UK/AU.
Common errors: misplacing stress on the second syllable (e.g., /ˈsɛrvɪks/), vowel quality drift in the first syllable (using a lax /æ/ or /ɛ/), and softening the /v/ into a /f/ sound. Correction tips: keep the first syllable with /ɜːr/ and ensure voice stays on the /r/; practice with minimal pair /ˈsɜːr.vɪks/ vs /ˈsər.vɪks/ by exaggerating the rhotic vowel briefly. Ensure /ks/ is pronounced as /ks/ rather than /s/.
US tends to rhoticate the /ɜːr/ as /ɜ˞r/ with a stronger /r/ coloring; UK uses /ˈsɜː.vɪks/ with a longer /ɜː/ and a non-rhotic influence in some speakers; Australian English similar to UK but with a flatter vowel quality and sometimes less rhoticity in fast speech. In all, the final /ɪks/ remains consistent, but vowel length and rhoticity color can shift slightly, especially in connected speech.
Difficulties stem from the two-syllable structure with a stressed initial syllable and a final consonant cluster /ks/. The /ɜːr/ vowel cluster requires precise tongue retraction and lip rounding; the /v/ is a voiced labiodental fricative that sits between /b/ and /w/ timing; the /ks/ cluster at the end can blur if you rush. Practice slow, then build speed while keeping exact place of articulation.
The key is maintaining a crisp, two-syllable rhythm with a clear /ˈsɜːr/ onset and a tight /vɪks/ coda. Unlike many anatomical terms with easier final vowels, the final /ks/ cluster can lead to devoicing or elision in quick speech; keep the /k/ and /s/ distinct by gently pressing the tongue to the alveolar ridge for /t/ and then releasing into /s/.
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Cervix derives from Latin cervix, meaning ‘neck’ or ‘nape,’ from cervicis (genitive of cervix) ‘neck of the body,’ akin to the English word ‘neck.’ The term entered medical Latin in late antiquity and was borrowed into medical English with the sense ‘neck-like narrowing’ of an organ—the lower, cylindrical part of the uterus. The root cerv- meaning ‘neck’ appears across Romance languages (French cou, Spanish cuello). In anatomy, the cervix’s name emphasizes its function as a narrow conduit, a structural junction between the uterine cavity and the vaginal canal. Over centuries, as gynecological science refined pelvic anatomy, the cervix became central in discussions of cervical health, dilation during labor, and cervical cancer screening. Early anatomists precisely described its shape, orientation, and histology, shaping modern obstetric and gynecologic terminology. Today, the word carries a clinical, precise tone; in casual speech or patient education, it’s often phrased as ‘the cervix’ to distinguish it from other uterine regions. First known use in English text appears in 17th–18th century medical writings, aligning with the broader period of formal anatomical nomenclature adoption.
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Words that rhyme with "Cervix"
-sis sounds
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