3 syllables: Con, tu, sion. Stress on tu.
kuhn-TOO-zhuhn
/kəˈntuʒən/
Contusion is pronounced kuhn-TOO-zhuhn (/kəˈntuʒən/). It has three syllables (Con-tu-sion), with the stress on "tu". Contusion is a medical term for a bruise caused by tissue damage beneath the skin, typically from a blunt impact. It involves broken capillaries and swelling without an open wound. The word is commonly used in clinical and sports contexts and can describe bruising of skin, muscle, or internal tissue.
nounContusion is a medical term for a bruise caused by tissue damage beneath the skin, typically from a blunt impact. It involves broken capillaries and swelling without an open wound. The word is commonly used in clinical and sports contexts and can describe bruising of skin, muscle, or internal tissue.
Correction tips: • Isolate the syllables: con - TU - sion; practice each separately, then blend. • Use a brief pause between con and tu-sion if needed to maintain accuracy during rapid speech. • Record and compare to a medical dictionary audio to ensure the /ʒ/ is audible and the second syllable is prominent.
How to Pronounce Contusion
"The athlete sustained a contusion after a hard tackle in the game."
"A temporary contusion developed on his thigh following the collision, with swelling and tenderness."
"The doctor noted a contusion but no fracture on the initial X-ray."
US: /kənˈtuː.ʒən/; UK: /kənˈtjuː.zən/; AU: /kənˈtjuː.ʒən/. Primary stress is on the second syllable: con-TU-sion. Start with a schwa: kən, then a bright /tuː/ or /tjuː/, ending with /ʒən/ or /zən/. Audio reference would align with standard medical diction; think of the 'tu' as a clear vowel duration before the voiced postalveolar fricative. Practice by saying “cun-TOO-zhun” with the last syllable lightly reduced.
Two common errors: (1) misplacing stress, saying con-'TU-sion' with stress on the first syllable; (2) mispronouncing the /tjuː/ as /tu/ or dropping the /ʒ/ to /z/. Correction: keep the primary stress on the second syllable and pronounce /tjuː/ as /tuː/ or /tjuː/ depending on speaker; ensure the /ʒ/ sound in the final syllable is present (like 'zh' in measure) rather than /z/. Slow it to clear each phoneme: kən - TU - zɪən or zhən depending on accent.
US tends to /kənˈtuː.ʒən/ with a clear /tuː/ and a voiced final /ʒən/: 'kən-TOO-zhən'. UK often uses /kənˈtjuː.zən/, with the /t/ followed by a 'you' quality /tjuː/ and a softer /zən/ due to non-rhotic or glottal tendencies in casual speech. Australian typically mirrors US/UK with /kənˈtjuː.ʒən/ or /kənˈtuː.ʒən/; both rhotic and non-rhotic influences exist. The key differences lie in the treatment of the /tj/ cluster and the rhoticity affecting surrounding vowels and linking. Listen for whether the /r/ is pronounced (US rhotic) or not (UK/AU non-rhotic in some contexts).
Because it contains a rare consonant cluster /tju/ after a stressed syllable and the palatal/posterior affricate /ʒ/ in the final syllable. The combination of /t/ + /j/ can be tricky for non-native speakers, and the voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ is less common in some languages. Additionally, the two-syllable onset after the initial unstressed syllable can trap learners into mis-stressing or blending sounds. To master it, practice the /tju/ sequence clearly and articulate the /ʒ/ as in 'measure', not as /z/.
There are no silent letters in contusion, but the stress pattern is definitely important: the primary stress falls on the second syllable: con-TU-sion. The /tu/ sequence can be heard as /tju/ in many dialects, and the /ʒ/ in the final syllable is a key feature that sets it apart from many other -tion words. Misplacing stress or softening the /ʒ/ can make the word sound like 'con-TOO-sion' with a different final sound. Practice keeping the second syllable prominent.
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US: rhotic; the final /ɪən/ can influence preceding vowels; keep /tuː/ and merge with /ʒən/. UK: non-rhotic; the /r/ is not pronounced, so the ending /ʒən/ remains; /tjuː/ may be heard as /tjə/ in rapid speech. AU: often similar to US but with stronger vowels; some speakers may merge /tuː/ into /tə/ in fast speech. Vowel quality: ensure the /uː/ is long and tense; the /ɒ/ or /ə/ in the first unstressed syllable remains reduced. IPA anchors: US /kənˈtuː.ʒən/, UK /kənˈtjuː.zən/, AU /kənˈtjuː.ʒən/; stress on TU; practice with minimal pairs to keep accuracy across dialects.
Contusion comes from the Latin contusio, from contundere 'to beat, strike, bruise' (con- 'together' + tundere 'to beat'). The root tundere yields contorque, concussion, and related forms. In late Middle English, contusion entered medicine via Old French contusion, adopted into English as a technical term for bruising under the skin. The sense evolved from a general notion of beating to a precise medical meaning identifying tissue injury with intact skin. First known use in English appears around the 16th century in surgical and anatomical texts, where authors distinguished contusions from lacerations and fractures. Over time, its usage broadened from external skin bruising to deeper tissue bruising, including muscle contusions in sports medicine. The term remains standard in clinical notes, radiology, and sports injury reporting, often paired with descriptors like superficial, deep, localized, or extensive contusion to specify severity and location.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Contusion" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Contusion"
-ion sounds
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