3 syllables: con, dy, lar. Stress on con.
KAHN-dil-ur
/ˈkɑndɪlɚ/
condylar is pronounced KAHN-dil-ur (/ˈkɑndɪlɚ/). It has three syllables (con-dy-lar), with the stress on "con". Condylar describes something relating to a condyle, a rounded prominence at the end of a bone that articulates with another bone. In anatomy, it often refers to structures like the condylar process of the mandible or femur. The term is used in technical, clinical, and academic contexts and denotes a bony knob that participates in joint movement.
Condylar describes something relating to a condyle, a rounded prominence at the end of a bone that articulates with another bone. In anatomy, it often refers to structures like the condylar process of the mandible or femur. The term is used in technical, clinical, and academic contexts and denotes a bony knob that participates in joint movement.
- You sometimes omit the /d/ release between /n/ and /d/; ensure a crisp /nd/ sequence to avoid a blend that makes the word sound like ‘conn-ylarr’. Practicable fix: say “con-dy-lar” in slow syllables, then gradually cohere while maintaining a clear /d/ release. - The final /ər/ can become /ə/ or the syllable can be too emphasized; practice with a light, quick ending: /lə/ or /lər/ depending on your accent. Try repeating with a gentle “er” ending to avoid overemphasizing the final vowel. - The onset cluster /k/ + /n/ can cause nasal intrusion; place the tongue tip behind the upper teeth for the /n/ before a hard /k/ or /d/; practice with slow lip- and jaw-motion drills to keep the /k/ crisp.
"The radiologist noted a prominent condylar process in the mandible."
"Condylar fractures require careful reduction to restore joint alignment."
"The anatomy textbook includes a detailed diagram of the mandibular condyle and its articulations."
Pronounce as KON-duh-lər (US/UK alike: /ˈkɒndɪlər/ in British styles, /ˈkɑːndɪlər/ in some US pronunciations). The stress is on the first syllable: CON-dy-lar. The second syllable uses a reduced vowel; the final ‘ar’ sounds like “er” or “ər.” Tip: start with a firm /k/ followed by a short /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ depending on accent, then /n/ + /d/ + schwa /ə/ + /l/ + /ɚ/ or /ər/. Audio reference: consult medical pronunciation resources or Forvo entries for “condylar.”
Common errors: 1) Slurring the second syllable into the first: say CON-dih-lər with a distinct /dɪ/; avoid /ˈkɒnd(ə)lɚ/. 2) Misplacing the /l/: ensure a light alveolar /l/ after /ə/. 3) Overpronouncing the final ‘ar’: use a weak /ər/ rather than /ɑr/. Corrections: exaggerate the /d/ endpoint briefly, then relax into /lə/; practice with minimal pairs like ‘condylar’ vs ‘condyle’ to map the ending.
US tends to rhotically color the final /ər/ as /ər/ with a clear schwa in the middle: /ˈkɒn.dɪ.lər/ or /ˈkɑːn.dɪ.lɚ/. UK variants often use a shorter /ɒ/ or /ɒ/ reflective of British vowels and may reduce syllable intensity: /ˈkɒn.dɪ.lə/ with a lighter final schwa. Australian tends toward non-rhoticity in many contexts; final /ər/ may be realized as /ə/ or even devoiced to /ə/ in rapid speech: /ˈkɒn.dɪ.lə/. In all, key differences involve vowel quality in the first syllable and the rhoticity/non-rhotic treatment of the final syllable.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster around /n/ + /d/ and the unstressed, reduced final syllable. The /ɪ/ vs /ə/ choice in the second syllable causes subtle shifts in articulation; your tongue must move from the nasal /n/ to the /d/ cleanly, then glide into a quick /l/ before a reduced /ər/. Mastery requires clean stop release, careful timing of the syllabic /l/ or /ɹ/ depending on dialect, and maintaining a stable mouth posture across all syllables.
No, there are no silent letters in condylar. Each letter corresponds to a phoneme: c /k/, o /ɒ/ or /ɒn/ depending on accent, n /n/, d /d/, y /ɪ/ or /ɪ/, l /l/, ar /ər/ in reduced form. The apparent complexity comes from vowel reduction and the /dy/ cluster; keeping each segment audible, even if lightly, helps clarity.
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- US: emphasize rhoticity in the final syllable with a subtle /ɚ/ or /ər/; ensure the /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ in the first syllable is open and rounded; /k/ is a strong aspirated stop. - UK: shorter, more clipped first syllable; nonrhotic or lightly rhotic? often a reduced /ər/ at end; try /ˈkɒn.dɪ.lə/ with less vocalic emphasis on the final syllable. - AU: tends toward non-rhotic speech in many contexts, final /ə/ often reduced; practice /ˈkɒn.dɪ.lə/ with lighter stress on final syllable. Always reference IPA: /ˈkɒn.dɪ.lə(r)/ depending on speaker.
Condylar comes from the Latin condylus, meaning rounded knob or knuckle, paired with -ar forming an adjective. Condylus itself traces to Greek kondulos, meaning knuckle or joint surface, via Latin condylus. The 현대 anatomical usage crystallized in the 18th–19th centuries as modern anatomy formalized terms for bone projections that form joints. Early descriptions center on joint mechanics around the mandible and vertebrae, with the condylar process of the mandible becoming a standard reference point in dental and maxillofacial literature. Over time, ‘condylar’ broadened to any structure bearing a condyle across skeletal anatomy, retaining its sense of a rounded, articulating prominence essential for smooth motion. The word moved from purely descriptive Latin/Greek roots into specialized clinical vocabulary, retained in surgical, radiographic, and comparative anatomical texts. First known English usages appear in late 18th to early 19th century corpora of anatomical writings, aligning with the expansion of modern anatomy as a discipline.
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Words that rhyme with "condylar"
-lar sounds
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