Geriatrics is the branch of medicine focused on the health care of older people. It deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disabilities in aging populations, emphasizing quality of life, functional ability, and independence. The term is often used to describe the medical specialty, clinics, and professionals dedicated to elder care.
- Misplacing stress: many learners stress the first or last syllable. Correct by emphasizing /æ/ in the third syllable: dʒɪˈri.ə.trɪks when needed; but standard is dʒer.iˈæ.trɪks. - Vowel mispronunciations: middle vowel should be a short /æ/ (as in 'cat'), not /eɪ/ or /iː/. Ensure the /æ/ is crisp and quick. - Final cluster: the ending /-trɪks/ should be clearly pronounced, not reduced to /-trəks/ or /-triks/. Practice by isolating the last two syllables /æ.trɪks/ and then blend.
- US: rhotic, clearer /r/; emphasize /dʒ/ accurately, keep /ɪ/ lax before /ks/. - UK: more clipped vowels, with non-rhotic tendency; stress maintained on the second syllable; use /ˈæ/ or /ə/ depending on speaker. - AU: broader vowel in stressed syllable; slightly longer /æ/ and a touch of /ɪ/ in the final 'triks', with less intense rhoticity. Use IPA benchmarks to verify pronunciation.
"The hospital opened a new geriatrics ward to better serve elderly patients."
"She pursued a career in geriatrics after volunteering at a retirement home."
"The geriatrician recommended a fall-prevention program for his patients."
"Training in geriatrics helped him communicate more effectively with older adults."
Geriatrics derives from the Greek ger-, meaning 'old man' or 'old age' and iatrikos, meaning 'healer' or 'physician' (from iatreia, 'healing'). The combining form ger- appears in words like gerontology. The term entered English in the early 20th century as medical specializations grew, with geriatrics used to distinguish medical care for aging populations from general internal medicine or pediatrics. Early usage framed geriatrics as a field addressing the unique physiologic changes of aging, including polypharmacy, mobility decline, cognitive concerns, and comorbidities. Over time, geriatrics has expanded to emphasize multidisciplinary care, patient-centered goals, and function preservation in older adults. First known uses appear in medical texts and journals circa the 1900s–1920s, with gradual standardization in clinical guidelines and training programs by mid-century. The modern sense centers on clinical practice, research in aging, and healthcare delivery tailored to elders, reflecting evolving demographics and care models.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Geriatrics" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Geriatrics"
-ies sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as juh-RI-a-triks with stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /ˌdʒɛr.iˈæ.trɪks/; UK /ˌdʒer.iˈæ.trɪks/; AU /ˌdʒɪə.ræˈtrɪks/. Start with the soft j sound, then the ’eh’ vowel, then the stressed ’a’ in ’atrics’, and end with a crisp ’iks’.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (often stressing the first or third syllable), mispronouncing the middle vowel as a long 'i' or 'ee', and swallowing the final 's' making it sound like ’geriatricks’ or ’jer-i-AT- ricks’. Correct by placing primary stress on the second-to-last syllable: /dʒer.iˈæ.trɪks/. Practice: say ‘jer-ee-AT- riks’ slowly, then blend.
US tends to reduce the first syllable to /dʒər/ and place primary stress on the third syllable as /ˌdʒɛr.iˈæ.trɪks/. UK often sounds slightly crisper on the second syllable with /ˌdʒer.iˈæ.trɪks/ and a non-rhotic feel in connected speech. Australian tends to have a broader /æ/ in the stressed vowel and a more unapologetically fronted /dʒɪə.ræˈtrɪks/ with subtler rhoticity.
Because it combines a cluster of consonants after a stressed mid-vowel and includes an ‘er’ with a schwa-like intonation followed by a crisp /t/ and /ɪ/ before /ks/. The sequence /dʒ/ + /ɪ/ + /ræ/ + /tɪks/ challenges speakers to maintain syllable rhythm and correct vowel lengths while preserving the stress pattern.
In geriatrics, the initial 'g' is soft, as in the /dʒ/ sound (as in 'genre' or 'gym'). The combination 'ger-' starts with /dʒ/ and follows with a short /e/ vowel, then /r/; you don’t voice the g as a hard /g/ here. Practicing with 'jeer' plus 'ee' helps anchor the /dʒ/ at the word’s start.
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- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker saying the word in a medical sentence and repeat in real time. - Minimal pairs: practice /dʒer.iˈæ.trɪks/ vs /dʒɜːr.iˈæ.trɪks/ to refine rhoticization. - Rhythm practice: tap 3-beat syllables (2+1+2) to align with stress pattern in cortication. - Stress practice: stress the second-to-last syllable; practice with phrases like ’the geriatrics clinic’ to feel the rhythm. - Recording: record yourself reading two context sentences, compare with native, adjust. - Context sentences: 'The geriatrics team assessed the patient’s functional status.' 'Geriatrics emphasizes independence and quality of life for aging adults.'
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