2 syllables: dor, sal. Stress on dor.
DAWR-suhl
/ˈdɔɹsəl/
dorsal is pronounced DAWR-suhl (/ˈdɔɹsəl/). It has two syllables (dor-sal), with the stress on "dor". Dorsal is an anatomical or anatomical-biological term referring to the back or posterior surface of an organism or body part. In biology and medicine it is used to describe structures located on the back, typically opposite the ventral or belly side. The term is often found in contexts like dorsal fins, dorsal plates, and dorsal surfaces in anatomy texts and descriptions.
Dorsal is an anatomical or anatomical-biological term referring to the back or posterior surface of an organism or body part. In biology and medicine it is used to describe structures located on the back, typically opposite the ventral or belly side. The term is often found in contexts like dorsal fins, dorsal plates, and dorsal surfaces in anatomy texts and descriptions.
- Misplacing the primary stress or reducing the first syllable to a schwa, which makes it sound like /dəˈsæl/ rather than /ˈdɔːr.səl/. - Slurring the /r/ in rhotic speakers or overemphasizing it in non-rhotic contexts, giving a stilted or unnatural sound. - Not clearly articulating the final /əl/; the /l/ can become a dark or muted sound if you don’t finish with a crisp alveolar /l/. - Running the two syllables together too quickly in connected speech, so you lose the boundary. Correction tips: practice with slow, channeled breath; emphasize the first syllable with a clear /ɔː/ and /r/; end by articulating /s/ and /l/ distinctly, then blend.
"The dorsal side of the hand is the back where veins are visible."
"In fish anatomy, the dorsal fin helps stabilize movement in the water."
"The surgeon noted a scar along the dorsal aspect of the forearm."
You say it as /ˈdɔːr.səl/ (US) or /ˈdɔː.səl/ (UK/AU). Stress is on the first syllable. The first vowel is a long /ɔː/ like 'door', then a soft /r/ may be pronounced depending on accent, and the final /səl/ rhymes with 'parcel' without the 'p' sound. Visualize starting with an open /ɔː/ vowel, then add a quick /r/ and finish with /səl/. If you’re not rhotic, you’ll still maintain the /səl/ ending.
Common errors include pronouncing the first syllable as /ˈdɔr/ with a short /ɔ/ or dropping the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, producing /ˈdɔː.səl/ or /ˈdɔː.səl/ with a heavy /s/. Another frequent slip is misplacing the vowel length, making the /ɔː/ sound shorter than a 'door' vowel. Correction: ensure two clear syllables, primary stress on the first, with a full /ɔː/ or /ɔːr/ in rhotic accents, followed by /səl/ where /s/ is crisp and /əl/ resembles the 'ul' in 'parcel' without a strong vowel before it.
In US English, /ˈdɔːr.səl/ with a rhotic /r/ after the vowel is common. UK and many Australian speakers maintain /ˈdɔː.səl/ with a non-rhotic or lightly pronounced final /l/ in some dialects, but most present an audible /r/ in connected speech. Australian tends to be rhotic with a clear /r/ in most contexts while keeping the /ɔː/ long. The final /əl/ often reduces to /əl/ or /əl/, so careful articulation of the /s/ and /l/ is important.
It presents a cluster of features that challenge non-native or unfamiliar speakers: a long back vowel /ɔː/ that can shift toward /o/ in some dialects, a liquid-like /r/ in rhotic accents contrasted with a simpler /s/ in the final cluster, and a final syllable with /əl/ that may reduce in fast speech. The compact consonant sequence /-r-səl/ requires careful timing to avoid misplacing the /r/ and blending /s/ with the following vowel. Attention to mouth shape and tongue position helps maintain two distinct syllables.
Does the word have a silent letter? No. The 'l' is pronounced as part of the final syllable /-səl/. The challenge often lies in making the /r/ (in rhotic accents) distinct from the /s/ and ensuring the /l/ is not swallowed in faster speech. Visualize the tongue preparing a rounded vowel, then a gentle alveolar /r/ (where applicable), followed by a crisp /s/ transition into /əl/.
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- US: rhotic /r/ is prominent; keep the /r/ light but audible, allow the /ɔː/ to be long and rounded. - UK: often non-rhotic; the /r/ may be silent in coda position; the /ɔː/ remains long, final /əl/ often reduced to /əl/. - AU: generally rhotic with a clearer /r/ in most contexts; ensure /ɔː/ is maintained and /s/ is crisp; be aware of vowel length variance before /l/. IPA references help: US /ˈdɔːr.səl/, UK /ˈdɔː.səl/, AU /ˈdɔːr.səl/.
Dorsal comes from the Latin dorsalis, from dors- ‘back’ (dors- is the stem from Latin dorsum, meaning ‘back, back part’). The form dorsalis first appeared in Latin anatomical texts to describe structures on the back, contrasting with ventral (belly side) and anterior/posterior terminology. Psychological and medical literature adopted dorsal broadly in the 16th–19th centuries as dissection and anatomical categorization advanced in Western medicine. The word entered modern scientific vocabulary through anatomical Latin, with English usage stabilizing in the 19th and 20th centuries in both clinical and zoological contexts. The root dors- is cognate with Greek opis- (as in opisthen) in some languages’ terms for back, but English primarily inherits from Latin. The sense shift from purely anatomical to more descriptive and comparative uses (e.g., dorsal fin in fish, dorsal root in neurons) extended the term beyond human anatomy to broader zoology and botany, reflecting orientation conventions across species.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "dorsal" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "dorsal"
-ral sounds
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