4 syllables: he, mor, rha, ges. Stress on he.
HEM-uh-rij-iz
/ˈhɛmərɪdʒɪz/
hemorrhages is pronounced HEM-uh-rij-iz (/ˈhɛmərɪdʒɪz/). It has four syllables (he-mor-rha-ges), with the stress on "he". Hemorrhages refers to multiple instances of bleeding, typically from blood vessels, that occur either externally or internally. In medicine, it denotes pathological bleeding events that can be acute or chronic, affecting tissues or cavities. The term is used across clinical, anatomical, and forensic contexts to describe a loss of blood outside intact vascular systems.
Hemorrhages refers to multiple instances of bleeding, typically from blood vessels, that occur either externally or internally. In medicine, it denotes pathological bleeding events that can be acute or chronic, affecting tissues or cavities. The term is used across clinical, anatomical, and forensic contexts to describe a loss of blood outside intact vascular systems.
"The patient developed several hemorrhages after the injury."
"Uncontrolled hemorrhages require immediate medical intervention."
"The autopsy noted multiple old and recent hemorrhages in the organ."
Stress pattern is on the third syllable: he-MOR-rhages? Actually, official pronunciation places primary stress on the second syllable: he-MOR-rhages /ˌhem.əˈrɪdʒɪz/ in US and UK forms. Begin with /ˈhem/ combining with a reduced middle syllable /ə/ and end with /rɪdʒɪz/. Try slow: heh-muh-RIJ-iz, then speed up naturally. Audio reference: consult medical dictionaries or Forvo for native speaker samples. IPA helps anchor the mouth: /ˌhem.əˈrɪdʒɪz/.
Common errors: misplacing stress (say he-MOR-rhages or HE-muh-ridge), mispronouncing the middle vowel as a long /o/ instead of a schwa /ə/, and blending /r/ with following /h/ into an awkward cluster. Correct by keeping the middle syllable as a neutral /ə/ and ensuring the -dʒɪz ending sounds like 'jiz' rather than 'jeez' or 'jies'. Practice with slow segments and record yourself to hear if the final -z is voiced. Also ensure you’re not turning 'rh' into a hard 'r' before the /ɪ/.
In US English, you’ll often hear /ˌhem.əˈrɪdʒɪz/ with a rhotic r and a schwa first vowel. UK English maintains rhoticity in some dialects but may reduce the final /ɪz/ to /ɪz/ similarly, with subtle length differences. Australian pronunciation tends to be non-rhotic in some speech, but medical contexts keep rhotic tendencies likely, producing /ˌhem.əˈrɪdʒɪz/ with a slightly flatter vowel in the first /ə/ and a crisp /dʒ/. Always follow the IPA reference and, when in doubt, mimic a medical speaker from the region.
It presents a cluster of consonants near the end: /r/ followed by /h/, then /ɪ/ and /z/. The /r/ can influence the preceding vowel, and the /dʒ/ in -dʒɪz/ requires precise tongue positioning so it does not slip into /dz/. The plural ending -es is voiced here, turning into /z/ rather than /s/; this voice assimilation can catch non-native speakers off guard in connected speech. Focus on the /r/ vowel transition and the alveolar-palatal /dʒ/ blend for accuracy.
A unique challenge is not misplacing stress and keeping the rhotics and /r/ sound cohesive with the following /ɪ/; many learners say /ˌhem.ərˈraɪ.dʒɪz/ or insert extra vowels. The correct sequence is /ˌhem.əˈrɪdʒɪz/ with a schwa in the second syllable and the /dʒ/ combined tightly with the following /ɪ/. Visualize the mouth: a relaxed jaw for the /ə/, a quick shift to a raised tongue for /rɪ/ and a forward tongue position for /dʒ/.
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The word hemorrhage comes from the Greek haima 'blood' and rheinien 'to gush,' via Latin hemorrhagia and French hémorragie. The modern medical term emerged in the 16th–18th centuries as anatomy and pathology advanced, adopting haima via Latinized forms to denote bleeding. Early uses referenced bleeding in surgical and forensic contexts; as medicine formalized disease processes, hemorrhage broadened to include various forms of substantial blood loss, including intracranial, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal. The plural hemorrhages simply applies the English plural suffix -es to the noun hemorrhage. The word’s trajectory mirrors the shift from general descriptions of injury to precise clinical terminology, while retaining its core sense of blood escaping from vessels. Contemporary usage spans clinical notes, research literature, and case reports, with hemorrhage formalized as a critical symptom and diagnostic marker in trauma, stroke, and hematologic disorders. Historically, the term has carried connotations of severity and urgency, often prompting rapid treatment decisions and imaging studies to locate and quantify bleeding. The word’s roots in haima ‘blood’ and rhegnien ‘to gush’ persist in modern medical vernacular, maintaining a direct link to its ancient descriptive origins even as precision has increased in imaging and laboratory evaluation.
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Words that rhyme with "hemorrhages"
-age sounds
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