Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It can lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance if untreated. The term also denotes the disease itself or an outbreak characterized by rapid, watery stools and intense, sudden symptoms. It is a medical, epidemiological term used in clinical and public health contexts.
"The historical port city faced a devastating cholera outbreak in the 19th century."
"Public health officials traced the source of the cholera to contaminated water pumps."
"Vaccination campaigns helped reduce cholera incidence in affected regions."
"Clinicians must recognize rapid dehydration signs to treat suspected cholera promptly."
Cholera originates from the Italian cholera, from Latin cholera, from Greek khole ‘bile’ (choler) + -era. The word entered English in the 17th–18th centuries as a term for a disease characterized by severe bowel symptoms. It reflects the humoral theory of disease (bile imbalance) historically associated with cholera-like illnesses. The oldest English attestations date from medical texts describing epidemics, with the disease gaining prominence during the 19th century pandemics when modern microbiology began identifying Vibrio cholerae. Over time, ‘cholera’ became the general medical term for the diarrheal illness caused by Vibrio cholerae, especially in epidemiological and public health discourse, rather than a vague intestinal disease. The name’s scientific specificity has remained stable as the organism was classified and the clinical syndrome clarified. First known use in English appears in the late 18th to early 19th century medical literature, paralleling global cholera outbreaks and the rise of bacteriology.
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Words that rhyme with "Cholera"
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Pronounce as /ˈkɒl.ə.rə/ in US/UK, with three syllables and primary stress on the first: KOL-uh-ruh. The first syllable uses a short open back vowel like in ‘cot,’ the second is a schwa, and the final syllable is a schwa with a light ‘r’ following it. In IPA: US/UK: /ˈkɒl.ə.rə/. In careful speech you’ll clearly articulate each segment: /k/ + /ɒ/ + /lə/ + /rə/; the middle /ə/ reduces quickly in connected speech. Audio reference: consult Cambridge/Oxford pronunciations or Forvo.
Two common mistakes: 1) Flattening the middle syllable into a full vowel like ‘kol-oh-rah’ instead of a quick /ə/; 2) Dropping the final /ə/ or turning it into a r-colored vowel. Correct by keeping the _-la-_ segment as a light, unstressed schwa and finishing with a soft, unreleased /ɹə/. Practice with minimal pairs: /ˈkɒl.ə.rə/ vs /ˈkɒl.ɔːrə/ helps you hear the reduced middle and final. Emphasize the first syllable consonant and avoid vowel lengthening.
- US: /ˈkɑː.lə.rə/ or /ˈkɒl.ə.rə/ with rhotic /r/ in most speakers and a fairly tense first vowel; some American speakers may have a lighter /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ depending on regional variation. - UK: /ˈkɒl.ə.rə/ with non-rhotic /r/ and a shorter final /ə/; the /ɒ/ as in ‘lot’ is common. - AU: /ˈkɒl.ə.ɹə/ often with a more pronounced final /ə/ and a lightly pronounced /r/ in some regions; vowel quality can be closer to /ɒ/ in many dialects. Reference IPA helps map these differences.
The difficulty stems from three features: a) the initial /k/ followed by a short /ɒ/ or /ɒ/ vowel, which can be mis-specified as /kɔl/; b) the second syllable reduced to /ə/ which non-native speakers often over-articulate; c) the final /rə/ or /rə/ with a rhotic ending in rhotic accents or a softer /rə/ in non-rhotic accents. Mastery requires crisp consonant onset, accurate schwa in the middle, and a light but clear final /rə/.
Cholera has a standard three-syllable pattern with primary stress on the first syllable: CHOL-er-a. There are no silent letters in the word; the middle vowel is a reduced schwa and the final syllable ends with /rə/ or /rə/. The main challenge is maintaining even tempo and avoiding vowel lengthening in US and UK accents. Pay attention to the crisp onset /k/ and the unstressed middle, which can be mis-specified if you overemphasize the second syllable.
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