3 syllables: he, mi, sphere. Stress on he.
HEM-is-fir
/ˈhɛmɪˌsfɪɹ/
hemisphere is pronounced HEM-is-fir (/ˈhɛmɪˌsfɪɹ/). It has three syllables (he-mi-sphere), with the stress on "he". Hemisphere refers to half of a spherical object, especially the Earth or a brain half divided by a longitudinal plane. It designates one of two symmetrical halves that together form a whole, often used in scientific, geographic, and medical contexts. The term also appears in astronomy and neuroscience to describe hemispheric divisions and functions.
Hemisphere refers to half of a spherical object, especially the Earth or a brain half divided by a longitudinal plane. It designates one of two symmetrical halves that together form a whole, often used in scientific, geographic, and medical contexts. The term also appears in astronomy and neuroscience to describe hemispheric divisions and functions.
"The northern hemisphere experiences summer while the southern hemisphere experiences winter."
"Researchers mapped neural activity across the cerebral hemispheres."
"Earth’s hemispheres are divided by the equator, which serves as a reference for climate zones."
Pronunciation: /ˈhɛmɪˌsfɪər/ (US) or /ˈhemɪˌsfɪə/ (UK). Put primary stress on HE-, with a secondary stress before the final syllable. Start with /h/ + /ɛm/ (like 'hem' with an eh-short vowel), then /ɪ/ for the second syllable, then the /ˈsfɪər/ cluster beginning with /s/ followed by /f/ and ending with /ɪər/ or /ɪə/. Mouth: open jaw, relaxed lips; the middle vowels are short. Audio reference: try saying it slowly as “HEM-ih-sfi-er,” then speed up while keeping the /sf/ cluster crisp. IPA guide helps you map each sound precisely.
Common mistakes: 1) Over-splitting into HE-MI-Sphere with exaggerated second syllable; instead maintain a light secondary stress on the third syllable /sfɪər/. 2) Dropping the /s/ before /f/ as in /ˈhɛmɪˌfɪər/ ; ensure the /sf/ cluster is intact. 3) Mispronouncing the final /ɪər/ as /ɪr/ or /aɪə/; aim for a tight, centered /ɪər/ vowel. Correction tips: practice slow, feel a brief /s/ then a quick /f/ with the lips close; keep the final vowel rounded and elongated slightly for /ɪər/ in US and /ɪə/ in UK. Use minimal pairs with emphasis on the /sf/ sequence.
US: /ˈhɛmɪˌsfɪər/ with slight rhotacization of the final vowel to /ər/; UK: /ˈhemɪˌsfɪə/ with a clearer /ɪə/ glide and non-rhotic final /ə/. AU tends toward /ˈhemɪˌsfɪə/ like UK but with broader vowel quality and a slightly flatter intonation. The primary stress remains on the first syllable, but vowel qualities shift subtly: US tends to a tighter /ɪ/ and a more pronounced /ər/; UK uses a longer /ɪə/ in the final syllable; AU mirrors UK but with Australian vowel height and vowel length differences. Both US and UK maintain the /sf/ cluster, though US may produce a crisper /s/ and /f/ transition.
The difficulty comes from the /sf/ consonant cluster in the third syllable and the /ɪə/ or /ɪər/ glide at the end, which many learners find unnatural. The /ˈhɛmɪ/ onset requires quick but precise articulation with a short /ɪ/ in the second syllable, followed by a crisp /sf/ transition into a rounded final vowel. Mastering the timing of the secondary stress and maintaining clarity in the 'sf' blend reduces common mispronunciations. Also, non-native rhythm and word-level stress placement can obscure the syllable boundaries.
Hemisphere uniquely features the /sf/ consonant blend right before the final vowel, a three-syllable rhythm with a primary stress on the first syllable and a secondary stress before the final syllable. This combination of a sharp /sf/ cluster and a mid-to-long final vowel makes it a standout example for practicing syllable-timed rhythm, careful lip and tongue positioning for the /s/ + /f/ transition, and maintaining steady airflow through the two consonant blend. Understanding its structure helps you reproduce the clausal cadence accurately.
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Hemisphere comes from the combination of the Greek hemi- meaning ‘half’ and -sphērēs, derived from sphaira meaning ‘sphere, ball.’ The earliest senses in English circulated in scientific contexts as a geographic term to describe one half of the globe, divided by a great circle such as the equator, or the brain’s two halves. The word’s adoption into anatomy and neurology paralleled advances in brain science in the 19th and 20th centuries, with “hemisphere” regularly used to contrast lobes and cortical regions by side. Its core meaning—one half of a round, spherical object—remained stable, while its domain of application expanded from astronomy and geography to medicine, neurology, and cognitive science. First known uses in English literature appear in the 18th and 19th centuries as natural science vocab, with rapid uptake during modern scientific nomenclature shifts in the 1800s and 1900s as disciplines formalized terminology for regional divisions of the globe and brain. Modern usage spans climate studies, geophysics, neuroscience, and regional anatomy.
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Words that rhyme with "hemisphere"
-ere sounds
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