2 syllables: Flat, us. Stress on Flat.
FLAT-uhs
/ˈflætəs/
Flatus is pronounced FLAT-uhs (/ˈflætəs/). It has two syllables (Flat-us), with the stress on "Flat". Flatus is a medical term for gas generated in the digestive tract and expelled through the anus; it is used in clinical contexts to discuss intestinal gas. The word is primarily found in anatomy or gastroenterology discussions and is sometimes encountered in historical or academic texts. It denotes gas that may be odorless or malodorous and is relevant to discussions of digestion and flatulence.
nounFlatus is a medical term for gas generated in the digestive tract and expelled through the anus; it is used in clinical contexts to discuss intestinal gas. The word is primarily found in anatomy or gastroenterology discussions and is sometimes encountered in historical or academic texts. It denotes gas that may be odorless or malodorous and is relevant to discussions of digestion and flatulence.
- You may over-pronounce the second syllable, turning /əs/ into /əsɪ/; keep it light and short. - Don’t insert extra vowels in the second syllable; avoid /flae-təs/ or /flæ-tɪs/. - Ensure the final /s/ is audible; don’t end on a voiced stop. - For non-native speakers, do not replace /æ/ with a more open /aː/ in some dialects; keep the first syllable crisp with /æ/ or /a/ depending on region.
"The doctor noted excess flatus as a potential sign of dietary intolerance."
"Patients were advised to monitor flatus patterns after starting the new medication."
"During the lecture, the term flatus was used to describe intestinal gas production."
Pronounce as FLAY-təs or FLAT-us with a soft, quick second syllable. IPA: US/UK /ˈfla.təs/. In careful speech, the first syllable carries the primary stress. The second syllable uses a light schwa or a reduced vowels depending on accent. Mouth: start with a wide open front vowel for /fla/, then a short, unstressed /təs/ where the t is a soft, alveolar stop and the final /əs/ reduces.
Common errors: treating as two equal syllables with a full vowel in the second syllable (FLA-tus), or replacing /ə/ with a full /ɪ/ or /eɪ/. Another frequent mistake is not releasing the final /s/ or slurring the /t/ into a d-like sound (fladəs). Correct by keeping the first syllable stressed, use a light, quick /t/ release, and end with a lax /ə/ then /s/.
In US/UK, /ˈfla.təs/ with a clear /æ/ or /a/ in the first syllable; rhoticity doesn’t affect the word much. Australian English often has a slightly longer /a/ in the first syllable: /ˈflaː.təs/. The final /s/ is usually voiceless, but some speakers may voice the /t/ or the /s/ in rapid speech. Overall, the main variation is vowel length and quality in the first syllable.
Because of the short, unstressed second syllable with /əs/, which can blur in rapid speech; the /t/ should be a crisp alveolar stop not a flap; and the first syllable’s vowel length can vary by speaker (avoid /eɪ/). The word also sits in the medical lexicon, where careful articulation supports comprehension in clinical contexts. IPA cues: /ˈfla.təs/ with a clear first syllable and a reduced second syllable.
Yes—pressing the /f/ followed by a rounded, open-front vowel /l/ sequence and a voiced/unvoiced tension on /t/ then a schwa-like /əs/ can be tricky. The cluster /fl/ at the start is a common English combination and should be produced with lip rounding and a short /l/ so the burst from /f/ to /l/ is smooth.
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- US: /ˈfla.təs/ with rhoticity not affecting this word; sharper /æ/ in /fla/ and a lax /ə/ in /təs/. - UK: similar, but some speakers have a slightly shorter /æ/ and crisper /t/; non-rhotic tendency doesn’t change final /s/. - AU: possible longer first vowel; /ˈflaː.təs/ or /ˈflæ.təs/; more vowel height variation and a tendency toward a slightly more rounded vowel in /fla/. Use IPA references to refine your accuracy.
Flatus comes from Latin flatus, meaning ‘a blowing, breaking wind, a venting of air,’ from the verb flare, meaning ‘to blow’ (related to Latin flare = to blow). The medical term was adopted into English in the 18th–19th centuries as part of anatomical vocabulary. Its Latin root flatus ties to wind as a metaphor for air expelled from the body, a concept that has ancient medical text references in Greek and Roman works describing bodily humors and digestion. Over time, flatus became a precise clinical label for intestinal gas expelled through the rectum, distinguishing it from other digestive processes. First known usage in medical literature appears in early modern anatomy texts and surgical manuals as clinicians sought standardized terminology for symptoms in gastroenterology. The term has persisted into modern medical usage, maintaining its Latin singular form and pluralization not typically adopted in ordinary English beyond “flatuses,” which is rarely used. In contemporary clinical writing, flatus remains a neutral term contrasted with terms like “flatulence,” which describes the gas itself rather than the act, and is used in both patient education and scholarly discussion about digestion and gut function.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Flatus" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Flatus"
-tus sounds
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