5 syllables: Co, sto, chon, dri, tis. Stress on chon.
koh-stoh-KON-drit-is
/koʊstoˈkɒndɹɪtɪs/
Costochondritis is pronounced koh-stoh-KON-drit-is (/koʊstoˈkɒndɹɪtɪs/). It has five syllables (Co-sto-chon-dri-tis), with the stress on "chon". Costochondritis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the cartilage where the upper ribs attach to the sternum, causing chest wall pain. It’s typically non-cardiac and often resolves with time or simple treatments. The term itself combines anatomical roots, not a disease itself. Symptoms can mimic cardiac pain, so accurate pronunciation helps ensure clear communication in clinical settings.
nounCostochondritis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the cartilage where the upper ribs attach to the sternum, causing chest wall pain. It’s typically non-cardiac and often resolves with time or simple treatments. The term itself combines anatomical roots, not a disease itself. Symptoms can mimic cardiac pain, so accurate pronunciation helps ensure clear communication in clinical settings.
How to Pronounce Costochondritis
"A jugular doctor reassured the patient that the chest pain was due to costochondritis, not a heart problem."
"Costochondritis often improves with NSAIDs and physical therapy."
"She was diagnosed with costochondritis after ruling out cardiac causes of chest pain."
Pronounce as koʊ-ston-ˈdrɪ-tɪs in US English, with primary stress on the third syllable after 'co' and 'ston'. Break it as co-ston-dhro-DRI-tis, emphasizing -dri- before -tis. The 'co' is like 'co' in 'coat'; 'ston' rhymes with 'stone'; 'dhr' represents the 'dr' cluster with a light retroflex quality. In UK/US variants, you’ll hear cost-on-DRY-tis with a subtle difference in the vowel of the 'o' mid vowels. For a precise reference, consult audio in medical pronunciation resources.
Common errors: misplacing stress, saying 'cos-town-dri-tis' or 'cos-tan-dre-itis'. Often the 'chondro' segment is flattened as 'kon-dro' instead of the soft 'khon-droh', and the -itis ending is pronounced as 'it-us' instead of 'i-tis'. Correction: place primary stress on the third syllable: co-ston-DRI-tis; articulate 'chondro' as /ˈdrɒn.droʊ/ in some variants, with the ‘o’ in chondro as a short or reduced vowel. Practice the sequence slowly: co-ston-don-dri-tis, then natural fast form. Listen to medical pronunciations to align the pacing.
US speakers typically say /ˌkoʊstɒnˈdrɪtɪs/ or /ˌkɒstoʊˈkɒndroʊˌdrɪtɪs/, with a rhotic r and clear 'o' sounds. UK speakers may reduce the first vowel and produce /ˌkɒstənˈdrɒɪtɪs/ or /ˌkɒstəˈkɒndrəˌɪtɪs/, with less rhoticity and different vowel quality in 'co' and 'dr'. Australian English tends to be non-rhotic with /ˌkɒstɒnˈdrɪtɪs/ and a flatter 'o' sound; the 'dr' cluster remains, but the preceding vowel may be more centralized. Audio guides from Pronounce and Forvo can help compare. Remember, the core sequence co-ston-don-dri-tis remains, only vowel color and rhoticity shift.
It combines a rare consonant cluster 'st' before 'o' and a multi-syllabic sequence 'chondro' in the middle, which can blur in fast speech. The ‘dr’ cluster and the ending -itis demand crisp airstream control; misplacing the stress on the wrong syllable also blurs the meaning. Practice the three morphemes: co-ston-dondro-itis, then blend into costochondritis. IPA references help you lock the exact vowels and consonants, especially the 'o' and 'i' vowels in stressed syllables.
A unique feature is the isolated costochondral junctions at the upper ribs that give you a three-section word: 'co-ston-dondro' before the trailing 'itis'. The 'chondro' segment is less common in English medical terms, so learners often mispronounce it as 'chon-dro' or soften it. Focus on the 'dr' cluster after 'ston' and maintain the -itis ending distinctly. The strongest cue is the stress on the third syllable: co-ston-DRI-tis.
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US: rhotic /r/ is prominent; UK: non-rhotic or weak rhotic; AU: non-rhotic with broader vowels. Vowel shifts: US /koʊstɒnˈdrɪtɪs/ vs UK /ˌkɒstənˈdrɒɪtɪs/. Consonants: 'st' cluster remains, 'dr' is an alveolar stop plus flapped articulation in rapid speech. Use IPA keys to anchor, and practice with minimal pairs to compare rhotic presence and vowel height. For practice, record yourself and compare to reference audio.
Costochondritis is derived from three Latin/Greek roots: 'costo-' from Latin costa meaning rib, 'chondro-' from Greek khondro meaning cartilage, and '-itis' from Greek -itis indicating inflammation. The term literally means inflammation of the rib cartilage. The combination first appears in medical literature as a descriptive pathology in the 19th or early 20th century medical nomenclature when clinicians began systematically naming pains of the chest wall by anatomical origin. Historically, rib-cartilage inflammation was sometimes described under broader categories of chest wall pain; as imaging and clinical distinction improved, costochondritis emerged as a specific diagnosis. The first known uses appear in anatomical and clinical texts discussing chest wall pain syndromes, with later adoption into medical dictionaries and textbooks. The word’s structure mirrors other -itis suffix diseases and mirrors the analytic practice of naming conditions by the involved tissue, which aided clinicians in communication and research. The term remains widely used in modern clinical practice, particularly in pediatrics and rheumatology, to distinguish chest wall inflammation from cardiac etiologies.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Costochondritis" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Costochondritis"
-tor sounds
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