2 syllables: Gyr, us. Stress on Gyr.
JEYE-ruhs
/ˈdʒaɪɹəs/
Gyrus is pronounced JEYE-ruhs (/ˈdʒaɪɹəs/). It has two syllables (Gyr-us), with the stress on "Gyr". Gyrus is a noun referring to a ridge of brain cortex formed by the convulation of sulci, typically paired with a sulcus. It denotes the elevated, rounded folds on the cerebral surface that increase neural surface area. In anatomy discussions, it helps specify the precise gyri and their functions within brain regions.
nounGyrus is a noun referring to a ridge of brain cortex formed by the convulation of sulci, typically paired with a sulcus. It denotes the elevated, rounded folds on the cerebral surface that increase neural surface area. In anatomy discussions, it helps specify the precise gyri and their functions within brain regions.
- Misplacing stress or reducing the first syllable; ensure primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈdʒaɪrəs/. - Vowel length: avoid turning /aɪ/ into a shorter /a/ in rapid speech; glide clearly from /aɪ/ to /ə/. - Final consonant: don’t add a vowel after the /s/; end with a crisp /s/ or a light /z/ in connected speech. - Lip rounding: keep lip rounding consistent on /dʒ/ and /aɪ/ to preserve the diphthong integrity. - Rhoticity: maintain the rhotic /r/ in American and many accents; avoid swallowing or centralizing the /ɹ/. Practicing slow, then fast, ensures accurate articulation.
"The precentral gyrus is involved in motor control."
"Researchers mapped brain activity by recording signals from the superior temporal gyrus."
"Damage to the language-related gyrus can affect speech processing."
Pronounce it as /ˈdʒaɪrəs/ in US and UK; the first syllable has the /dʒ/ sound (like judge), followed by a long /aɪ/ as in 'high', then a light /r/ and a schwa /ə/ in the final syllable. Stress on the first syllable: GAIR-us. Tip: keep the /ɹ/ soft and avoid turning it into a hard ‘g’ or ‘j’ followed by a stronger /ɪ/; the vowel in the first syllable is /aɪ/, not /ɪ/ or /iː/. Audio reference words: judge, high, rough; Link to IPA guide for exact mouth position.
Common errors: (1) Turning the /dʒ/ into a hard /g/ or /j/; ensure you start with the proper /dʒ/ sound. (2) Mispronouncing the /aɪ/ as a short /a/ or /ə/; hold the diphthong to glide from /a/ to /ɪ/ quickly. (3) Tripping on the final /s/; avoid adding an extra vowel; end with a soft /s/ or reduce to schwa if connected speech. Practice: rehearse /ˈdʒaɪ.rəs/ with quick but clear transition from /dʒ/ to /aɪ/ and a light rhotic closure.
In US, /ˈdʒaɪrəs/ with rhotic /r/ in the second syllable, a clear /r/ sound before the final schwa. UK typically /ˈdʒaɪ.rəs/ or /ˈdʒaɪ.rəs/ with non-rhotic tendencies; the /r/ in coda position may be silent or reduced to a non-rhotic vowel before a following consonant. Australian tends to be /ˈdʒaɪ.rəs/ with a relatively pronounced /ɹ/ and a broad vowel quality; the diphthong remains /aɪ/. Across all, the first syllable carries primary stress; ensure the duration of /aɪ/ is maintained.
Difficulties arise from the initial /dʒ/ cluster combined with the /aɪ/ diphthong followed by a reduced final /ər/; English speakers often mis-homophonize the first syllable as /ˈgɪrəs/ or /ˈdʒɪrəs/. The fusion of /aɪ/ into a quick transition and the pronunciation of /r/ in non-rhotic accents can blur the rhythm. Also, the final /əs/ can sound like /əs/ or /ɪs/ depending on speech rate. Focus on the glide from /dʒ/ to /aɪ/ and keep the final schwa compact.
A unique detail is the strong influence of the /ɪ/ in the common mispronunciation: ensure the first syllable is /ˈdʒaɪ/ rather than /ˈdʒɪaɪ/ or /ˈɡaɪ/; keep the mouth rounded similarly to 'guy' /aɪ/ while beginning with /dʒ/ as in 'judge'. The alveolar ridge and the following /ɹ/ should be crisp but not rolled; in careful speech, you should release the /r/ into the schwa rather than making it a distinct vowel.
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- US: Pronounce /ˈdʒaɪrəs/ with a clear rhotic /ɹ/ and a slightly longer /aɪ/. Mouth position: lips rounded for /dʒ/ onset, tongue blade high behind upper teeth, tip of tongue approximating the alveolar ridge; /r/ is a retroflex-like approximate; IPA: /ˈdʒaɪɹəs/. - UK: /ˈdʒaɪ.rəs/ with less pronounced rhoticity; may reduce /r/ in non-rhotic contexts; ensure the second syllable is a reduced /ə/ or /ə/. - AU: /ˈdʒaɪɹəs/ with a more pronounced /ɹ/ and slightly stronger vowels; vowel quality similar to US, but with a more open jaw posture. - Common cross-variant shifts: keep the diphthong /aɪ/ stable; allow small vowel differences, but avoid turning into /iː/ or /eɪ/. Focus on the tongue height for /aɪ/ and keep the /ɹ/ smooth.
Gyrus comes from the Greek gyros, meaning circle, ring, or turning. The term entered medical anatomy through 19th-century European anatomists who described the brain’s convoluted surface using Latinized Greek roots. The root gy- relates to turning or circle, linked to gyrus as a curved, rounded ridge. Early neuroscience texts used gyrus to denote any closed, circular or rounded brain fold, often paired with sulcus to denote the opposite groove. In modern usage, gyrus is a standard anatomical term for a named or unnamed cortical ridge; first known English usage appears in 19th-century medical literature, aligning with the broader adoption of Greek-derived anatomical vocabulary. Over time, the term has become specialized, rarely used outside neuroanatomy except in clinical contexts or educational materials where precise cortical localization matters. The etymology reflects the visual geometry of the brain’s surface—rounded, turning ridges that form the gyri observed in the gyrencephalic brain across mammals. The word’s meaning has remained stable: a raised convolution of the cerebral cortex, as opposed to sulci, the depressions between them.
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Words that rhyme with "Gyrus"
-rus sounds
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