3 syllables: ge, net, ics. Stress on net.
juh-NET-iks
/dʒəˈnɛtɪks/
genetics is pronounced juh-NET-iks (/dʒəˈnɛtɪks/). It has three syllables (ge-net-ics), with the stress on "net". Genetics refers to the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms, focusing on how traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes. It encompasses gene structure, expression, inheritance patterns, and the molecular mechanisms that govern genetic traits. In practice, genetics informs fields from medicine to agriculture, and underpins our understanding of heredity, mutation, and evolution.
Genetics refers to the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms, focusing on how traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes. It encompasses gene structure, expression, inheritance patterns, and the molecular mechanisms that govern genetic traits. In practice, genetics informs fields from medicine to agriculture, and underpins our understanding of heredity, mutation, and evolution.
- You might overemphasize the first syllable, producing /ˈdʒeɪ.nɛt.ɪks/ instead of the natural /dʒəˈnɛtɪks/ or /dʒɪˈnɛtɪks/. - The /t/ can be pronounced as an abrupt stop; instead, give a light, quick release into the /ɪ/ to avoid a choppy /t/ sound. - The final /ɪks/ should be crisp but not rushed; avoid a trailing /ks/ blending into the next word. - In fast speech, the first syllable can reduce to /dʒə/ or /dʒɪ/; maintain the secondary stress and ensure the /n/ is clear.
"Hereditary diseases are a major focus of modern genetics."
"The genetics of complex traits involves interactions between multiple genes and environmental factors."
"Researchers studied the population genetics of the endangered species."
Pronounce it as /dʒɪˈnɛtɪks/ in UK and US, with primary stress on the second syllable: je-NET-iks. In American speech you’ll hear /dʒəˈnɛtɪks/ for many speakers, where the initial syllable reduces to a schwa. Mouth posture: start with a voiced postalveolar affricate /dʒ/, then a quick 'neh' /ˈnɛ/ and finish with /tɪks/. For an audio reference, compare a standard dictionary recording or resources like Forvo.
Common errors include over-stressing the first syllable (/ˈdʒeɪˌnɛtɪks/ or /ˈdʒɛnˌɛtɪks/), or articulating the /t/ as a hard stop before /ɪ/ (saying /ˈdʒɛnɛtˌɪks/). Another pitfall is reducing the second syllable too much, making it /ˈdʒɛnˌtɪks/. Correct approach: keep secondary stress light, ensure the /n/ is clear, and release /t/ smoothly before /ɪ/ -> /ɪks/.
In US English, you’ll often hear /dʒəˈnɛtɪks/ with a schwa in the first syllable and strong secondary stress on -net-; in UK English, /dʒɪˈnɛtɪks/ is common, with a slightly less reduced first syllable. Australian English typically mirrors UK but with a slightly flatter vowel in the first syllable and a non-rhotic tendency, though some speakers may have mid-vowel Ross features depending on region.
The difficulty lies in a cluster of consonant sounds and a short mid vowel sequence. The initial /dʒ/ sound is a palato-alveolar affricate requiring precise tongue blade contact, the secondary /nɛ/ blends quickly, and the /tɪks/ ends with a rapid /ks/ cluster. Additionally, subtle vowel length differences and potential syllable reduction in fast speech compound the challenge.
A distinctive aspect is the stress pattern that centers on the second syllable (-NET-). This is a common trait for three-syllable scientific terms where the root has been borrowed into English with a trochaic-to-ictic rhythm. Paying attention to a clear /ˈnɛ/ nucleus and crisp /tɪks/ ending helps distinguish it from similar terms like 'genetical' where the -al ending shifts rhythm.
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- US: /dʒəˈnɛtɪks/, stronger schwa in first syllable, sometimes reduced to /dəˈnɛtɪks/ in rapid talk. - UK: /dʒɪˈnɛtɪks/, more full vowel in first syllable, non-rhotic tendencies may alter vowel duration. - AU: /dʒɪˈnɛtɪks/, similar to UK, with slightly flatter vowel in the first syllable and less rhotic emphasis. - IPA references: remember /dʒ/ as the 'j' sound in judge, /ˈnɛ/ as 'neh,' and the final /ɪks/ as 'iks.' - Focus on crisp /t/ release and a clean /s/ at the end.
The word genetics comes from the Greek word genetikos, meaning 'genitive, of birth' and genos, meaning 'birth, origin, race.' The term was adopted in the 19th century to describe the science dealing with heredity. Earlier, scientists used terms like heredity and transmission, but by the mid-1800s researchers began to formalize a field studying how traits are inherited, leading to the coinage of genetics to capture the study of genes and inheritance. The concept of 'gen' as a root meaning 'origin' appears in ancient Greek, evolving through Latin into modern scientific usage. Gregor Mendel’s work in the 1860s on pea plants popularized the idea of discrete factors controlling inheritance, though the term 'gene' would only be coined later. In the early 20th century, the chromosomal theory of inheritance linked genes to chromosomes, anchoring genetics in cytology. The discovery of DNA as the genetic material in the mid-20th century, followed by the sequencing revolution and genome-wide association studies, expanded the field to molecular genetics, functional genetics, and computational genetics, shaping medicine, agriculture, and evolutionary biology.
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Words that rhyme with "genetics"
-ics sounds
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