4 syllables: Ec, chy, mo, sis. Stress on mo.
ek-im-OH-sis
/ˌɛk.ɪˈmoʊ.sɪs/
Ecchymosis is pronounced ek-im-OH-sis (/ˌɛk.ɪˈmoʊ.sɪs/). It has four syllables (Ec-chy-mo-sis), with the stress on "mo". Ecchymosis is a medical term for a sizable bruise caused by escaped blood that has collected under the skin, forming a discoloration. It refers to visible subcutaneous bleeding resulting in a blue- or purple-hued patch. The term is used primarily in clinical context and can indicate underlying trauma or coagulation issues when present.
nounEcchymosis is a medical term for a sizable bruise caused by escaped blood that has collected under the skin, forming a discoloration. It refers to visible subcutaneous bleeding resulting in a blue- or purple-hued patch. The term is used primarily in clinical context and can indicate underlying trauma or coagulation issues when present.
"The patient developed an ecchymosis after a minor fall."
"Doctors documented an extensive ecchymosis on the patient’s arm."
"Ecchymosis can vary in color as the bruise heals, from purple to yellow."
Pronounce as ek-ky-MOH-sis, with the primary stress on the third syllable. IPA US: ɪkˌkaɪˈmoʊsɪs; UK: ɪkˌkaɪˈməʊsɪs; AU: ɪkˌkaɪˈməʊsɪs. Start with a short, unstressed 'e' sound, then a hard 'k,' followed by a 'ky' cluster, rhotacized 'r' not present here; the middle syllable has a long 'o' as in 'go,' and ends with a soft 'sis.' Visualize a three-beat rhythm: ek-ky-MO-sis.
Common errors: misplacing stress (trying to stress the second or first syllable), misreading the 'ch' as a hard 'k' sound without the 'ky' blend, and mispronouncing the final 'osis' as 'oh-sis' instead of 'uh-sis.' Correction: say ek-ky-MO-sis with the 'ky' as a consonant cluster [k͡j], and end with a clear, short 'ɪs' or 'sɪs' depending on speaker. Practice by breaking into syllables: ek-ky-MO-sis; emphasize MO for the primary stress.
In US English, the vowel in the stressed syllable is a clear long 'o' (/ˈmoʊ/). UK English tends to shorten the middle vowel slightly and may exhibit less rhoticity in other words, but ecchymosis remains /ˌɪkˌkaɪˈməʊ.sɪs/. Australian English approximates UK patterns but tends to be less clipped and vowels may be slightly broader. Across accents, the final '-sis' remains /ˈsɪs/ or /ˌsɪz/ depending on liaison; the most consistent feature is the 'ki' cluster /kaɪ/.
It combines a less common root with a tricky consonant cluster and two uncommon vowels. The 'ch' is not the typical 'ch' as in 'chef' but blends into /k/ plus /j/ as in 'ky' (/k͡j/). The long vowel in the stressed syllable (MO) can be mispronounced as a short /mɒ/ or /moʊ/. Also, hidden syllables can mislead non-medical speakers into pronouncing it as ‘ek-kee-MO-sis,’ which changes syllable weights. Focus on the three-beat rhythm: ek-ky-MO-sis.
A unique feature is the 'ky' cluster following the initial 'k,' which requires a brief /j/ onset creating /k͡j/ rather than a simple /k/ then /j/ in separate moves. Ensure the primary stress lands on the syllable 'MO' and that the final '-sis' is not conflated with '-sosis' or '-sis' as in 'synthesis.' Practice by saying ‘ek-ky-MO-sis’ with a tight mouth for the /k͡j/ and a clear /m/ before the final /o/.
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Ecchymosis derives from the Greek ekkymōsis (εκχυμosis) meaning ‘pouring out’ or ‘bruising,’ from ek- ‘out, out of’ + kymōsis ‘pouring out, discharge.’ The term entered medical English in the late 17th to 18th centuries and was adopted to describe skin discoloration due to subcutaneous bleeding. Historically, ecchymosis distinguished larger bruises from petechiae (smaller hemorrhages). The root kyma or kymōsis relates to pouring or washing away, used metaphorically for blood pooling under the skin. Through centuries, the word has remained specialized to describe non-palpable, non-raised patches that result from vascular leakage, differentiating them from hematomas, which are often palpable.
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