3 syllables: Em, bry, o. Stress on Em.
EM-bree-oh
/ˈɛmbɹiˌoʊ/
Embryo is pronounced EM-bree-oh (/ˈɛmbɹiˌoʊ/). It has three syllables (Em-bry-o), with the stress on "Em". Embryo is a developing organism in its early stages, especially before it becomes a fetus. As a noun, it refers to the earliest stage of growth for plants, animals, or humans, typically within the first eight weeks after fertilization. It is used in biology, medicine, and embryology to describe the initial, formative phase of development.
nounEmbryo is a developing organism in its early stages, especially before it becomes a fetus. As a noun, it refers to the earliest stage of growth for plants, animals, or humans, typically within the first eight weeks after fertilization. It is used in biology, medicine, and embryology to describe the initial, formative phase of development.
"Researchers studied the embryo's development after fertilization to understand congenital disorders."
"The embryo implantation occurs in the uterus during early pregnancy."
"In zoology, an embryo can describe the early life stage of many vertebrates."
Pronounce as EM-bree-oh in US/UK/AU. The primary stress is on the first syllable: /ˈɛm.bri.oʊ/ (US) or /ˈɛm.bri.əʊ/ (UK/AU). Start with a clear 'eh' as in 'met', then 'm' followed by a 'bree' with a light 'ee' vowel, and end with a rounded 'oh' or 'ow' sound. Think: EM-bree-oh. If you hear a 'schwa' in some rapid speech (ˈɛm.bri.əʊ), treat it as an unstressed middle vowel.
Common errors: (1) Underemphasizing the first syllable and saying 'em-bry-o' with weak onset; (2) Slurring the middle vowel into 'ee' too long or misplacing the second syllable stress; correct by keeping stress on the first syllable and using a short, clear 'ri' with a light vowel; (3) Mispronouncing the final 'o' as a long 'oh' in rapid speech; aim for a shorter, crisp 'oh' or a reduced 'əʊ' in slower pronunciation. Practice with slow deliberate articulation and then speed up while maintaining the stress and phoneme quality.
US tends to have /ˈɛm.bri.oʊ/ with a clear /oʊ/ ending and a slightly rounded mid vowel before it. UK and Australian accents often use /ˈɛm.bri.əʊ/ with a mid-centralized second syllable vowel (schwa-like) before a pronounced /əʊ/ or /əʊ/. Rhoticity is generally not a factor in British and Australian pronunciations for this word, but US speakers often voice the /r/ in connected speech, though in careful speech it remains /ˈɛm.bri.oʊ/. In fast speech, the middle vowel may reduce to a schwa in all varieties.
Two main challenges: the unstressed, schwa-like middle vowel and the glide from /b/ to /ri/ to /oʊ/ can feel awkward for non-native speakers. The middle syllable often reduces (ˈɛm.briəʊ in UK/AU), making the word sound like EM-bry-oh with unclear syllable boundaries. The 'ri' cluster requires a crisp, brief 'ri' without delaying the following vowel. Practicing with slow, lattice-paced articulation helps you land the stress on the first syllable and maintain clean transitions between syllables.
A common trap is treating the second syllable as just 'bree' with a long 'ee' before an 'oh'. The emphasis naturally falls on the first syllable, but many learners make the middle sound too long or mispronounce the 'o' as a pure 'oh'. The correct approach uses a short, clear /ri/ followed by a rounded /oʊ/ (US) or /əʊ/ (UK/AU). Visualize it as EM-brief-oh with a quick, light 'ri' and a concise final vowel. Recording yourself helps confirm the timing of syllables and the quality of each vowel.
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Embryo comes from the Greek embryo, meaning 'a young one' or 'a bud, a seed,' via Latin and then English. The Greek embryo (ἔμβρυον) derives from en- 'in' + bruōn, root meaning 'to swell' or 'to grow'. The term entered scientific usage in the 17th–18th centuries as microscopy and anatomy advanced. In Greek, ἔμβρυον referred to a young creature formed within, especially in embryology. Through Latin embryon, and later English embryo, the word shifted from a general sense of a developing thing to a precise, biological stage representing the earliest developmental phase after fertilization, before organ differentiation. The evolution of usage tracks the rise of developmental biology as a discipline; early observers used embryo to describe any growing entity, while modern science confines it to a developing multicellular organism from conception through the early weeks, typically up to the end of the eighth week in humans. The word’s spelling and pronunciation stabilized in English by the 19th century, paralleling advances in anatomy and embryology texts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Embryo" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Embryo"
-ero sounds
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