2 syllables: der, mis. Stress on der.
DUR-muhs
/ˈdɝməs/
dermis is pronounced DUR-muhs (/ˈdɝməs/). It has two syllables (der-mis), with the stress on "der". Dermis refers to the thick layer of skin beneath the epidermis, containing connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, and skin appendages. It provides structural support and nourishment to the outer layer and plays a key role in sensation and thermoregulation. Expert-level context notes its contrast with the epidermis and its functional components.
Dermis refers to the thick layer of skin beneath the epidermis, containing connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, and skin appendages. It provides structural support and nourishment to the outer layer and plays a key role in sensation and thermoregulation. Expert-level context notes its contrast with the epidermis and its functional components.
- Common mistake: treating the first syllable as a short, neutral vowel (DER-miss) instead of the full /ˈdɜːrmɪs/. Correction: keep the /ɜː/ as a clear, long vowel before the /m/. - Mistake: adding an extra vowel before the /s/ (der-miss-uh) when the word ends with a crisp /s/. Correction: stop with /s/; do not insert schwa. - Mistake: incorrect stress shifting to the second syllable in rapid speech (deR-mis); Correction: retain primary stress on the first syllable even in fast pronunciation. - Mistake: mispronouncing /ɜːr/ in rhotic accents where the r-Color occurs; practice rhotic /ɜ˞/ vs. non-rhotic /ɜː/. Tip: practice minimal pair DER-mis vs. DUR-mis to reinforce the correct vowel quality.
"The dermatologist explained that the dermis houses collagen fibers critical for skin elasticity."
"Stretch marks occur when the dermis is damaged but the epidermis remains intact."
"During the exam, the doctor checked for signs of inflammation in the dermis layer."
You pronounce it DER-mis, with the primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US /ˈdɜːrmɪs/, UK /ˈdɜːmɪs/, AU /ˈdɜːmɪs/. The first vowel is a mid-back rounded or unrounded vowel depending on speaker; keep the /ɜː/ vowel relaxed. The final /mɪs/ is short, with the lips closed for /m/ and a quick /ɪ/ before /s/. Practice by saying ‘der’ as in ‘fur’ with r-colored vowel and then a crisp ‘mis.’ Audio reference: listen to medical pronunciation dictionaries or Forvo entries for natural intonation.
Two common mistakes are: 1) Misplacing the stress on the second syllable (deR MIS) which sounds like a verb form. 2) Using a lax, schwa-like /ɜ/ or conflating with ‘der’ pronounced as ‘dare’ in some accents. Correction: maintain primary stress on the first syllable, ensure the vowel is /ɜː/ rather than /ə/, keep /m/ closed and follow with a crisp /s/. Rehearse with minimal pairs: DER-mis vs. de-ERM-is to lock the correct rhythm and vowel quality.
In all three accents the first syllable carries primary stress: /ˈdɜːrmɪs/. Differences: US /ˈdɝːmɪs/ may show rhotacized r and a slightly longer /ɜːr/; UK /ˈdɜːmɪs/ tends to a crisper /ɜː/ without rhotics to non-rhotic listeners; AU mirrors US/UK in practice but may have a more centralized /ɜː/ with smoother linking in connected speech. Overall, the core vowels remain /ɜː/ and /ɪ/, with minor diphthongization in some speakers. Forvo and dictionary entries illustrate these subtle shifts.
The challenge lies in the stressed, mid-back vowel /ɜː/ followed by a short, clipped /ɪ/ and the adjacent nasal /m/ then final /s/. Some speakers mispronounce with a lax /ə/ or misplace the stress, resulting in deR-mis or DER-miss. Also, non-native speakers may struggle with the alveolar /s/ after a closed /m/. Focus on maintaining a steady, long /ɜː/ in the first syllable and a clean /m/ followed by /s/ without adding a vowel between them.
No silent letters in standard pronunciation. The primary stress remains on the first syllable in typical speech. In rapid or connected speech, you might hear slight reduction of the second syllable, but you still hear /mɪs/ rather than deleting a consonant. The /ɜː/ vowel remains the core feature; occasionally, some speakers reduce to a lighter /ə/ under casual enunciation, but this is nonstandard and can obscure meaning in medical contexts.
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- US: rhotic /ɜ˞/ with clearer r-coloring in the first syllable; shorter /ɪ/ in the second syllable. - UK: non-rhotic? often /ˈdɜːmɪs/ with a longer /ɜː/. - AU: similar to US/UK but tends to a slightly more centralized /ɜː/ and flapped or rolled /r/ less common; maintain the same vowel qualities, but expect softer r-coloring in connected speech. - Vowels: /ɜː/ as a tense, mid-central vowel; /ɪ/ as a short near-high front vowel. - Consonants: /m/ is bilabial nasal; end with crisp /s/. - Prosody: keep steady, clinical tone with medical cadence; avoid overly casual intonation in professional contexts.
Dermis comes from Latin dermis, meaning ‘skin’ or ‘hide,’ originally tied to the skin’s true, living tissue in contrast to the epidermis’s outer layer. The term is attested in medical Latin from at least the 16th century, aligning with early anatomy texts that distinguished the two skin layers. The word’s root is related to Greek derma (skin), which also yields words like dermatologist and dermatology. Through adoption in anatomical nomenclature, dermis evolved to denote the dense, fibrous connective tissue beneath the epidermis, rich in collagen and elastin, with vascular and neural components. Over time, as dermatology advanced, dermis became a standard anatomical term describing the supporting framework of the skin, integral to its mechanical properties and sensory function. First usage in English medical literature appears in the Renaissance and early modern period as anatomists refined skin layer terminology. In modern usage, “dermis” remains the preferred term in clinical and anatomical contexts, with closely related terms like dermal and subdermal used to describe properties, regions, or injections related to this layer.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "dermis" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "dermis"
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