hem-uh-roy-DEK-tuh-mee
/ˌhɛməˌrɔɪdˈɛktəmi/
hemorrhoidectomy is pronounced hem-uh-roy-DEK-tuh-mee (/ˌhɛməˌrɔɪdˈɛktəmi/). hemorrhoidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove hemorrhoids. It involves excising swollen venous tissue from the anal canal or rectal verge, typically under anesthesia. The term combines elements meaning red (hem-), vein (rhoid), and surgical removal (ectomy).
hemorrhoidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove hemorrhoids. It involves excising swollen venous tissue from the anal canal or rectal verge, typically under anesthesia. The term combines elements meaning red (hem-), vein (rhoid), and surgical removal (ectomy).
- Common challenge: pronouncing /ɔɪ/ correctly; many substitute with /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ leading to 'hemorahydekt' or 'hemorroidect'. Fix: practice /ɔɪ/ by two-phoneme glide: open-mid back rounded vowel + close front. - Consonant cluster /dækt/ or /dɛkt/ is hard; assert /t/ immediately after /k/ is not silent; avoid linking /kt/ to a following syllable; practice with slow enunciation and crisp stop. - Stress misplacement: keep primary stress on the -ect- syllable; misplacing stress yields unclear medical terminology. - Suggested correction steps: isolate syllables, do targeted repetition, use a mirror to ensure mouth positions, and record to check rhythm.
"The surgeon performed a hemorrhoidectomy after conservative treatments failed."
"Recovery after hemorrhoidectomy can be painful, but symptoms often improve markedly."
"She consulted a colorectal specialist for hemorrhoidectomy as a last resort."
Break it as he-MOR-roi-DEC-to-mee with primary stress on the second syllable: ˌhɛmərˌɔɪdˈektəmi (US: /ˌhɛmərˌɔɪˈdɛktəmi/). Start with ‘heh’ then a clear ‘mor’ as in ‘more’, followed by ‘roi’ like ‘roid’, then ‘ec’ as ‘ek’, ending with ‘tə-mee’. Visualize three main beats: hem-OR-roid-ec-to-mee. Keep the ‘roi’ vowel like the diphthong /ɔɪ/ and ensure the final -mi is crisp.
Two common errors: (1) mispronouncing the mid- syllable as 'royd' with a long o; correct to /ɔɪ/ as in 'roid'. (2) slurring the -ectomy ending into -ekt-ə-mee; keep a clear /ˌɛkˈtəmi/ with a distinct /d/ or /t/ depending on the speaker. Practice by segmenting: hem- + oir- /ɔɪ/ + dekt- /dɛkt/ + ə- + mi. Also avoid reducing the vowel in the second syllable; maintain the /ɔɪ/ diphthong.
US typically uses /ˌhɛmərˌɔɪˈdɛk təmi/ with rhotic /r/ and clear /ɔɪ/. UK often keeps non-rhoticity; you’ll hear /ˌheməˈrɔɪdɪˌkɛktəmi/ with a shorter /ə/ in second syllable and less rhotic r; AU tends to a drawn-out vowel in the second syllable and a more centralized final could be /ˌhɛmərɔɪˈdɛktɪmi/ depending on speaker. Core segments remain hem- + oɪ + dekt + ə + mi, but vowel quality and rhoticity shift subtly.
The difficulty comes from the long, multi-syllabic word with tricky vowel sequence /ɔɪ/ in the middle, the cluster -dect- in the third syllable, and the final -ectomy which requires a clean /-ɛkti-/ or /-ɪkti-/ transition. The combination of a stem with hemo- /ˈhɛm-ɒ/ and a medical suffix -ectomy creates complex articulatory motion in rapid speech. Maintain careful segmentation and practice the diphthong /ɔɪ/ and the /kt/ cluster.
A notable feature is the /ɔɪ/ diphthong in the middle syllable, often realized as a rounded, mid-high glide combined with a short onset consonant. Additionally, the /kt/ cluster in the -dect- portion requires a precise release (alveolar stop) immediately before the schwa/ɪ in -emy. Paying attention to the pause between /ɔɪ/ and /dɛ/ or /dɛk/ helps avoid slurring the word.
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US: rhotic /r/ in hemor-; clear vigour on /ɔɪ/; UK: less rhotic influence, /ɒ/ or /ɔɪ/ but crisp -kt-; AU: neutral rhotic with broader vowels; overall the middle /ɔɪ/ tends to be more centralized in some Australian speakers. Ensure the /d/ is a hard alveolar, the /kt/ is released distinctly, and the final -emy is clearly pronounced /ˈɛməti/ in fast speech. IPA references: US /ˌhɛmərˌɔɪˈdɛktəmi/; UK /ˌhɛmərɔɪˈdɛktəmi/; AU /ˌhɛmərɔɪˈdɛktəmi/.
The word hemorrhoidectomy derives from the combining of prefix hemi- or hem- (from Greek haima, haimā ‘blood’) with rhoid- (from Greek rhois/haima meaning ‘vein’), referring to the swollen venous tissue. The suffix -ectomy comes from Greek -ektomē meaning ‘excision’ or ‘removal’. The medical term indicates a surgical removal of hemorrhoids. Historically, the term hemorrhoid dates from late Latin hemorrhoides, from Greek haima ‘blood’ and rhoeidēs ‘veins that resemble onions’ (an early descriptor for swollen vascular tissue). In modern medical practice, -ectomy requires explicit operative context; it first appears in English medical literature in the 19th century as physicians standardized procedures for anorectal diseases. The compound has remained stable in usage, though technical synonyms and procedure variants (e.g., stapled hemorrhoidopexy) have emerged since. The pronunciation has followed standard English anglicization of Greek roots, with the syllable structure reflecting both the acute medical pronunciation and general lexical stress patterns. First known uses appear in formal surgical texts around the mid-1800s as colorectal surgery advanced as a specialty.
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Words that rhyme with "hemorrhoidectomy"
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