2 syllables: hodg, kin. Stress on hodg.
HAHJ-kin
/ˈhɑdʒkɪn/
hodgkin is pronounced HAHJ-kin (/ˈhɑdʒkɪn/). It has two syllables (hodg-kin), with the stress on "hodg". Hodgkin is a surname most often encountered in medical contexts (as in Hodgkin lymphoma) and in scholarly or historical references. It is pronounced with two syllables, stressing the first: /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ in broad terms, though pronunciation can vary slightly by speaker and region. The name combines an initial aspirated stop, a velar/soft G cluster, and a final syllable close to “kin.” In professional usage, it remains a proper noun and should preserve the initial stress and clear consonants.
Hodgkin is a surname most often encountered in medical contexts (as in Hodgkin lymphoma) and in scholarly or historical references. It is pronounced with two syllables, stressing the first: /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ in broad terms, though pronunciation can vary slightly by speaker and region. The name combines an initial aspirated stop, a velar/soft G cluster, and a final syllable close to “kin.” In professional usage, it remains a proper noun and should preserve the initial stress and clear consonants.
- Common mistakes: (i) slurring /ɡ/ into /k/, producing /hɒdˈkɪn/ or /ˈhɒdɪn/. (ii) Weak or misaligned /d/ following /h/ leading to /ɒd/ blurred with /ɡ/. (iii) Incorrect stress placement or monochrome pronunciation, turning it into /ˈhɒdʒkɪn/ without the halt between /d/ and /ɡ/. Corrections: slow down to isolate /d/ and /ɡ/ with a brief pause or strong release, practice the /d/ plus audibly released /ɡ/ into /k/; place primary stress on the first syllable and keep the second syllable concise. Recommend practicing with minimal pairs like hodgkin vs. hodgson to internalize a two-syllable rhythm and non-merged cluster.
"Dr. Hodgkin led early investigations into lymphatic diseases."
"The century-old Hodgkin lymphoma eponym appears in medical literature."
"A Hodgkin diagnosis prompted a new treatment protocol."
Pronounce as two syllables with initial primary stress: US/UK/AU: /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ (rough: HADG-kin). The first syllable begins with an aspirated /h/ followed by /ɒ/ (open back rounded vowel), then a hard /d/. The second syllable starts with a hard /ɡ/ immediately after the /d/, followed by /k/ and a short /ɪ/ then /n/. In many accents the /ɡk/ sequence is realized tightly as /g/ + /k/ with a light release. Keep the two consonants distinct for clarity.
Common mistakes: (1) Merging /g/ and /k/ into a single /g/ or /k/ cluster, making it /ˈhɒdɪn/ or /ˈhɒdɡɪn/ without the /k/ release. (2) Reducing the second syllable, pronouncing /ˈhɒdʒɪn/ or /ˈhɒdɛŋ/. (3) Stress shift, saying /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ with weak first-syllable stress. Correction: articulate /d/ and /ɡ/ as separate taps, hold the /ɡ/ release into a light /k/ onset of the second syllable, keep primary stress on the first syllable, and ensure a clear final /n/. Practicing by isolating the /ɡk/ cluster helps maintain the intended two-syllable rhythm.
US tends to have /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ with a lighter /ɡ/ release and clear /k/; UK often uses /ˈhɒdʒkɪn/ or /ˈhɒdˌkɪn/ with slightly softer /g/ and a more pronounced /d/. Australian generally aligns with US/UK but may have a less rhotic quality, yielding /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ or /ˈhɒdˌkɪn/. The big differences are rhoticity subtlety and the exact realization of /ɡk/ cluster, with some speakers forming a light /ʤ/ or reduced release. IPA references show slight shifts in vowel durations and rhoticity between regions.
The difficulty lies in the rare /dɡ/ combination followed by /k/, producing a tight /dɡk/ sequence that many speakers fuse or misarticulate. Maintaining two separate g-like consonants without a vowel between them requires precise tongue control: tip of the tongue for /d/, blade for /ɡ/, and a quick release into /k/. Additionally, the name’s two-syllable rhythm with primary stress on the first syllable demands careful breath control and sustained clarity in quick speech.
A unique aspect is the syllabic boundary between the /d/ and the hard /g/ as a two-consonant onset for the second syllable. Speakers should ensure the /ɡ/ is released into a separate /k/ onset rather than forming a single, blended sound. Visualize starting /ɡ/ at the back of the mouth, then a brief stop into /k/ as the second syllable begins. This boundary helps prevent slurring and preserves the name’s distinctive two-syllable rhythm.
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- US vs UK vs AU: US and AU lean toward /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ with more explicit /ɡ/ release; UK may yield /ˈhɒdʒkɪn/ or /ˈhɒdgkɪn/ with slightly different vowel timing. Vowel quality differences: /ɒ/ in all three tends to open-mid back; US speakers may have a tighter /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ depending on region. The /ɡ/ sound before /k/ should be a brief, crisp release; ensure not to voice the /k/ as a /g/ or blend into /t/. IPA reminder: /ˈhɒdˌɡkɪn/ (US). - Accent tips include holding the /d/ briefly before releasing into /ɡ/ and ensuring the /k/ onset in the second syllable is not swallowed.
Hodgkin is a proper noun of Anglo-Saxon origin, used primarily as a surname. It likely derives from a given name composed of elements meaning “hill” or “high place” and a diminutive/occupational suffix. The name appears in medieval England, recorded in various spellings (Hodgkyn, Hodgkyn) as surnames began to stabilize after Norman influence. The modern form Hodgkin gained prominence in the 19th and 20th centuries due to notable figures like Thomas Hodgkin, a British physician who described Hodgkin lymphoma. The eponymic adoption in medicine solidified the term in scholarly use, with “Hodgkin lymphoma” becoming a standard diagnosis name honoring the physician. First known uses appear in 19th-century English medical prose, expanding through subsequent oncology literature as a distinct lymphatic cancer designation. The surname itself remains primarily a family name, while the disease name is unavoidable in clinical contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "hodgkin"
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