Health refers to the state of being free from illness or injury and the overall vigor of body and mind. It encompasses physical fitness, mental wellbeing, and social welfare, often guiding lifestyle choices, public policy, and medical care. Good health implies resilience, functional capability, and a positive balance between risk factors and protective factors across life domains.
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"Your health has improved since you started exercising regularly."
"Public health initiatives focus on prevention and access to care."
"She attributed her recovery to a combination of rest, nutrition, and professional treatment."
"In many cultures, health is intertwined with community wellbeing and social support."
Health derives from Old English hæl or hals meaning ‘uninjured, whole, healthy’, itself related to the Proto-Germanic *hailaz and Proto-Indo-European root *kail- ‘whole, whole, uninjured.’ Early senses emphasized physical soundness or safety. By the late Middle Ages, health broadened to denote soundness of body and mind and, eventually, general well-being. The modern sense consolidated in medical and public-health discourse, distinguishing wellbeing from mere absence of disease. The word underwent semantic expansion in the 18th–19th centuries as public health, nutrition, and hygiene became scientific fields, with health policy shaping social programs. First known Old English uses appear in medical and legal texts, evolving through Middle English to contemporary usage that embeds both personal health and population-level health indicators.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "health" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "health" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "health"
-lth sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /hɛlθ/. Start with a light breathy /h/, then the short lax vowel /ɛ/ as in bed, followed by the final voiceless dental fricative /θ/ as in think. The consonant sequence is a closed front vowel leading into a voiceless dental fricative. Stress is on the single syllable; aim for a tight tongue posture so the /θ/ is audible but not rushed. You’ll want a clean transition from /ɛ/ to /θ/ without an extra vowel.
Common errors include replacing the /θ/ with /f/ or /s/ (healf or heals) or voicing the /θ/ as /ð/ (health with a voiced sound). Another mistake is over-articulating a full diphthong before the /θ/, like /hɛəθ/. To correct: keep the /θ/ voiceless and place the tongue lightly between the teeth, with the tip barely touching the lower teeth, producing a crisp fricative directly after the /ɛ/.
In US, UK, and AU, /hɛlθ/ remains the core; the primary differences are in the surrounding vowel quality and the articulation of /θ/. In some US dialects, the /ɛ/ can be slightly more open; in some UK accents, /ɛ/ may be closer to /e/ in certain regions, with crisper /θ/ in careful speech. Australian English generally maintains the /θ/ with a non-touhingly strong interdental contact; however, some speakers may substitute with /f/ or /t/ in rapid speech. Overall, the core phoneme sequence remains consistent across accents.
The difficulty centers on the final /θ/ sound, a voiceless dental fricative that sits at the edge of the mouth; for many speakers the tongue must rest gently between the teeth without excessive contact, and the air must flow cleanly without voicing. The transition from the vowel /ɛ/ to /θ/ is quick, so timing matters. Also, the word's short, single-syllable structure provides little processing time for precise articulation in fast speech.
A distinctive feature is the dental fricative /θ/ that follows a short lax vowel; unlike most common English words ending in -th that often have a voiced /ð/ in other contexts, health uses the voiceless /θ/. Focus on placing the tongue tip gently between the teeth and maintaining a steady airflow; avoid turning it into /t/ or /d/ sounds or adding a vowel between /ɛ/ and /θ/.
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