4 syllables: he, pa, ti, tis. Stress on ti.
hep-uh-TEYE-tuhs
/ˌhɛpəˈtaɪtəs/
hepatitis is pronounced hep-uh-TEYE-tuhs (/ˌhɛpəˈtaɪtəs/). It has four syllables (he-pa-ti-tis), with the stress on "ti". Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver, caused by viral infection, alcohol use, or autoimmune factors. It commonly presents with jaundice, fatigue, and abdominal pain, and can be acute or chronic. The term covers several distinct conditions (types A–E) that affect liver function and health outcomes.
Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver, caused by viral infection, alcohol use, or autoimmune factors. It commonly presents with jaundice, fatigue, and abdominal pain, and can be acute or chronic. The term covers several distinct conditions (types A–E) that affect liver function and health outcomes.
- You will often misplace stress on the first syllable (HEP-a-titis) or flatten the second syllable; rehearse with the exact IPA: /ˌhɛp.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/ and emphasize the TY diphthong. - The /ɪ/ in the final syllable can be reduced or omitted in fast speech; keep it as /tɪs/. - The /taɪ/ sequence may blend with the preceding /ə/; practice the three distinct segments hep-uh-TAI-tis using beat-marked counting and slow repeats.
"The patient was diagnosed with hepatitis after elevated liver enzymes and persistent fatigue."
"Public health officials track hepatitis outbreaks to prevent transmission."
"Chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis if not managed properly."
Pronounce as /ˌhɛp.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/. Stress the second syllable: hep-uh-TY-tis, with the final -tis kept distinct. The first syllable is unstressed, the second carries primary stress, and the 'ti' portion aligns with 'ty' in 'typo' for the -taɪ- sound. In careful speech, separate syllables: hep-uh-PER; wait, the third syllable contains /taɪ/ (tye). Audio references: you can compare with
Common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (he-PAT-i-tis) — correct is hep-uh-TY-tis. 2) Slurring the /ɪ/ in the final -tis (ti-s) — pronounce as /tɪs, not /tiːs/. 3) Merging syllables (hep-a-ti-tis) or running together /taɪ/ with adjacent vowels. Corrections: practice with 3-4 slow repetitions splitting hep-uh-TY-tis, highlight the /ˌhɛp.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/ pattern, and use minimal pairs to feel the /taɪ/ sequence.
In US, /ˌhɛp.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/ with rhotic /r/ not present; UK/AU share similar skeleton: /ˌhep.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/ with slightly shorter /ə/ in non-rhotic positions; AU may drop postvocalic r but keeps the /tɪs/ ending clear. Minor vowel quality shifts: US /ɛ/ as in 'bed' vs UK /e/ in some dialects; /taɪ/ remains stable; /tɪs/ stays. Overall differences are small; listening to region-specific medical broadcasts helps internalize the subtle shifts.
Key challenges: two distinct vowel sequences in a row, the /ˌhɛp.ə/ leading into /ˈtaɪ/ (diphthong), and the final /tɪs/—the cluster can tempt you to misplace emphasis or merge syllables. The tri-syllabic rhythm can cause stress to slide. Practice by isolating the /taɪ/ diphthong, then rehearse the three syllables in order with clear pauses to anchor the rhythm. IPA clarity helps you maintain accurate mouth positions.
No silent letters in standard pronunciation. The word has three syllables with a stress pattern on the second syllable: hep-uh-TY-tis. Attention should be paid to the /ˈtaɪ/ sequence; avoid pronouncing as /taɪs/ or /taɪt/. Consistent vowel treatment in /ˌhɛp.ə/ helps keep the word natural in connected speech.
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- US: rhoticity is less relevant here since hepatitis is not heavily rhotic; focus on clear /ˌhɛp.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/ with full articulation of /taɪ/. - UK: slight vowel height differences; maintain /ˌhep.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/ with crisp /tɪs/; avoid lengths. - AU: similar to UK but with more clipped vowels in casual speech; keep the three-syllable cadence and ensure the /ɪ/ in final syllable is audible. IPA references: US /ˌhɛp.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/, UK /ˌhep.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/, AU /ˌhep.əˈtaɪ.tɪs/.
The word hepatitis comes from the Greek hepar, hepat- meaning liver, plus -itis, a suffix from Greek -itis meaning inflammation. The earliest forms of the word in English appear in medical texts in the 18th century as physicians described liver inflammation broadly. The combination of hepar (liver) with -itis (inflammation) is a common medical morpheme in many languages, leading to terms like hepat- in scientific nomenclature (hepatology). Over time, the disease was subclassified by etiologies (viral, autoimmune, drug-induced), with hepatitis A–E reflecting distinct causal agents. The semantic shift from a generic liver inflammation to specific viral syndromes paralleled advances in virology, epidemiology, and liver biopsy techniques. First known uses include 18th- to 19th-century medical treatises that labeled hepatic inflammation as a clinical syndrome rather than a single disease, eventually converging on the modern taxonomy that distinguishes several hepatitis viruses and their transmission routes.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "hepatitis" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "hepatitis" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "hepatitis"
-ies sounds
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