2 syllables: Erg, ot. Stress on Erg.
UR-guht
/ˈɝɡət/
Ergot is pronounced UR-guht (/ˈɝɡət/). It has two syllables (Erg-ot), with the stress on "Erg". Ergot is a fungous growth, Claviceps purpurea, that infects rye and related grains, producing potent alkaloids historically linked to folklore and medicine. In medicine, ergot refers to the plant-associated fungus or its derivatives (ergotamine, ergometrine) used in obstetrics. The term also appears in historical contexts, sometimes cautioning about plant toxins. It denotes a specific mushroom-like fungal disease affecting cereal crops and the pharmacologically active byproducts.
nounErgot is a fungous growth, Claviceps purpurea, that infects rye and related grains, producing potent alkaloids historically linked to folklore and medicine. In medicine, ergot refers to the plant-associated fungus or its derivatives (ergotamine, ergometrine) used in obstetrics. The term also appears in historical contexts, sometimes cautioning about plant toxins. It denotes a specific mushroom-like fungal disease affecting cereal crops and the pharmacologically active byproducts.
How to Pronounce Ergot
"The farmer inspected the rye fields for ergot spores after the wet season."
"Medicine researchers studied ergot alkaloids to develop treatments for migraines and obstetric hemorrhage."
"The medieval church cycle often notes outbreaks of ergotism during harvest festivals."
Ergot is pronounced ER-got, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈɜːɡɒt/. Start with a mid-back lax vowel /ɜː/ as in 'bird', then /ɡ/ as in 'go', and finish with /ɒt/ rhyming with 'pot.' In careful medical speech you may hear a crisp /ɡ/ and a short /ɒ/ before /t/. Audio reference: refer to standard dictionaries or medical pronunciation guides for /ˈɜːɡɒt/.
Common errors include pronouncing it as ER-ment or ER-goat, mixing up the vowel in the first syllable and elongating the second syllable. To correct: use /ˈɜː/ for the first syllable (like 'nurse' without final r), keep /ɡ/ direct after, and finish with a short /ɒt/ rather than a long /oʊ/. Ensure the 't' is unreleased in careful speech or lightly aspirated in careful medical dictation.
In US/UK/AU all share /ˈɜːɡɒt/ in broad terms, but vowel quality can shift: US /ˈɝɡɒt/ with rhotacized /ɝ/ in some dialects; UK and AU often favor /ˈɜːɡɒt/ with a longer, lax /ɜː/ and shorter /ɒ/. Some Australian speakers may reduce to /ˈɜːɡət/ in rapid speech. The key is keeping the first syllable stressed and the second short and crisp.
The difficulty comes from the single stressed syllable followed by a compact, voiceless /ɡɒt/ ending and the mid-back vowel /ɜː/ that’s not common in all varieties of English. Tongue retraction and jaw openness for /ɜː/ combined with an abrupt /ɡ/ release can feel unusual if your native language has a different vowel system. Practice balancing the back vowel and the short /ɒ/ before /t/.
The word requires accurate control of a mid back vowel and a crisp stop after a voiced/voiceless boundary. The initial /ɜː/ vowel demands a relaxed but precise tongue height and lip position to avoid drift toward /ɛ/ or /ɪ/. The combination of /ɜː/ + /ɡ/ + /ɒ/ is not common in many languages, so you’ll hear a tight, compact sequence; focus on keeping the /ɡ/ firmly attached to the preceding vowel without inserting a vowel between /ɜː/ and /ɡ/.
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Ergot comes from the Medieval Latin ergotium, a term used for the grain fungus that infects rye and related grasses. The genus Claviceps, from Latin clavus ‘nail’ and -iceps ‘head’, refers to the club-shaped fungal structures that replace grain kernels. The word ergot itself entered English through medieval alchemical and medical texts, where the disease was associated with outbreaks of poisoning (ergotism). The pharmacologically active components, the ergot alkaloids, were first identified in the 19th and 20th centuries, revolutionizing obstetric medicine and migraine treatment. The shift from a toxic grain pathogen to a source of therapeutic agents marks a critical evolution in pharmacognosy: from fear of ergotism to careful therapeutic application. The term has retained its agricultural-rooted sense while expanding into pharmacy and historical study of disease outbreaks in Europe and northern Asia. First known usage in English dates back to the 12th–13th centuries via Latin writings, with later etymological attestation in pharmacopoeias and botanical treatises detailing Claviceps purpurea’s impact on cereals and rye specifically, and its derived alkaloids in clinical practice.
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Words that rhyme with "Ergot"
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