5 syllables: Co, lo, nos, co, py. Stress on nos.
koh-luh-NOH-skuh-pee
/koʊ.ləˈnoʊs.kə.pi/
Colonoscopy is pronounced koh-luh-NOH-skuh-pee (/koʊ.ləˈnoʊs.kə.pi/). It has five syllables (Co-lo-nos-co-py), with the stress on "nos". Colonoscopy is a medical procedure where a flexible tube with a camera is inserted through the rectum to examine the colon. It allows direct visualization, biopsy, and possible polyp removal. The term combines colon with the suffix -oscopy, indicating viewing the colon internally.
nounColonoscopy is a medical procedure where a flexible tube with a camera is inserted through the rectum to examine the colon. It allows direct visualization, biopsy, and possible polyp removal. The term combines colon with the suffix -oscopy, indicating viewing the colon internally.
How to Pronounce Colonoscopy
"The doctor scheduled a colonoscopy to investigate the cause of his abdominal pain."
"During the colonoscopy, polyps were removed for biopsy."
"He prepared for the colonoscopy by following a clear-liquid diet the day before."
Colonoscopy is pronounced with primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/ (US: /ˌkɑː.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/), with four clear syllables after the initial prefix. Break it as co-LO-no-sco-py, noting the -scope portion sounding like 'skoh-pee'. The key is keeping the /nɒ/ in the third syllable steady and not swallowing the -sco- into -skoh-; the final -py is like 'pee'.
Common errors: rushing the three vowel-consonant clusters can make it sound like ‘colonoskopy’ or ‘colon-oscopy’ with misplaced stress. Another mistake is misplacing the primary stress on the second syllable or turning -nos- into -no- or -noss-. Correction: emphasize the third syllable with /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/ and keep the /n/ clusters crisp: /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/.
In US English, colonoscopy uses rhotic /r/ patterns after initial vowels only subtly; the /ɒ/ in 'colon' is more open in US than some UK varieties where /ɒ/ can be nearer to /ɒː/ or /ɔ/. The UK tends to reduce some unstressed vowels and maintain non-rhoticity in many dialects, affecting the second syllable. Australian pronunciation aligns with non-rhotic tendencies but often keeps vowel lengths similar to UK patterns. Overall, stress remains on the third syllable; vowel quality shifts reflect general regional vowel shifts (US /ɒ/ vs UK /ɒ/).
It's difficult due to consecutive consonant clusters and the long multi-syllable sequence. The /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/ string requires precise place and manner: initial /k/ release, the mid /l/ with a light dark l, the /nɒs/ cluster, and ending /kə.pi/. Mouth positions shift across syllables, and the 'os' in the stressed syllable must not become a quick schwa; keep a crisp /nɒs/ and a clean /kə.pi/.
The 'oscopy' suffix can be misread; the 'scopy' part should be pronounced as /ˈskɒp.i/ with clear /s/ and /k/ sequences. A common slip is devoicing or slurring the 'k' before the 'o' or 'pi', leading to /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kɒ.pi/ instead of /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/. Emphasize the short /ə/ in the 'co' second vowel and keep the /k/ tightly tied to the following /ɒ/.
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US: rhotically present /r/ is not a major factor here; maintain clear /ɒ/ as in 'pot'. UK: more conservative vowels; avoid lengthening the /ɒ/ beyond natural; AU: similar to UK but with more relaxed vowel space; maintain consistent /ɪ/ or /i/ in final syllable depending on speaker. IPA references: US /ˌkɑː.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/; UK /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/; AU /ˌkɒ.ləˈnɒs.kə.pi/.
Colonoscopy comes from two Latin roots: colon-, meaning large intestine, and -scopy, from Greek skopein, meaning to look or examine. The term follows a common medical word-formation pattern where a body part name is combined with a viewing or examination suffix. Colon- derives from Latin colon, and skopein is the root of many medical inspection terms in English like endoscopy, gastroscopy, and microscopy. The first documented use of colonoscopy was in the mid-20th century as endoscopic technology evolved from rigid to flexible instruments. By the 1960s and 1970s, flexible fiber-optic colonoscopes allowed physicians to inspect the colon more thoroughly, enabling therapeutic interventions such as polypectomy. The word colonoscopy thus reflects both anatomical target (colon) and diagnostic viewing (oscopy), aligning with the broader medical lexicon of endoscopic procedures.
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Words that rhyme with "Colonoscopy"
-opy sounds
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