Hyperacusis is a medical condition characterized by an increased sensitivity to ordinary environmental sounds, causing discomfort, pain, or a need to avoid normal auditory stimuli. It can be linked to ear disorders, neurological factors, or loudness disorders, and may affect daily functioning and quality of life. Treatments vary, including sound therapy and medical assessment.
US vs UK vs AU differences: • US typically rhotic, influences vowel qualities slightly and may reduce /ɪ/ in final syllable; lip rounding for /juː/ remains consistent. • UK tends to more centralized vowels and may have shorter /ə/ before /kjuː/; non-rhotic, so /r/ is not pronounced. • AU often exhibits broader vowel qualities and a tendency toward slightly longer vowels; stress remains on /kjuː/; maintain clear separation between /ə/ and /kjuː/ for intelligibility. IPA references: US /ˌhaɪ.pəˈkjuː.sɪs/, UK /ˌhaɪ.pəˈkjuː.sɪs/, AU /ˌhaɪ.pəˈkjuː.sɪs/.
"People with hyperacusis often find background noise intolerable in busy offices."
"After the injury, she developed hyperacusis and now wears ear protection in crowded places."
"The audiologist discussed strategies to manage hyperacusis without triggering discomfort."
"Hyperacusis can co-exist with tinnitus, complicating the sound perception for some patients."
Hyperacusis derives from the Greek prefix hyper- meaning excessive or above, and ακουσις (akousis) meaning hearing or sound. The term fuses hyper- with akousis, first appearing in medical literature in the early 20th century as clinicians sought to describe abnormal sensitivity to sounds. The concept evolved from broader discussions of hypersensitivity to include both peripheral (ear-related) and central (brain-related) auditory processing pathways. Over time, hyperacusis has been used to distinguish a heightened loudness perception from ordinary hearing loss or tinnitus. The word reflects a diagnostic focus on abnormal auditory perception rather than a structural ear disease alone, emphasizing functional sound intolerance across contexts and populations.
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Words that rhyme with "Hyperacusis"
-cus sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˌhaɪ.pəˈkjuː.sɪs/. Start with the high diphthong /haɪ/ as in 'high', then a schwa /ə/ in the second syllable, the stressed /ˈkjuː/ as in 'cue', and end with /sɪs/. The primary stress hits the third syllable cluster: kiu. You can use a quick guide: high-uh-CUE-sis. Mouth: start with a wide mouth for /aɪ/, relax the jaw, then round lips for /kjuː/ and keep the tongue high for /i/ in /sɪs/. Audio reference: listen to clinical pronunciations at reputable medical dictionaries or Pronounce resources.
Common errors: misplacing the stress (treating it as haɪ-PEH-kaus-iss) by stressing earlier syllables; mispronouncing /kjuː/ as /kju/ or as /kj/; misarticulating the final /sɪs/ as /zɪz/ due to voicing. Corrections: keep the primary stress on the /ˈkjuː/ segment, produce /kjuː/ with a tight lip rounding for /juː/, and end with a crisp /sɪs/ unvoiced. Practice slow, then at natural speed while monitoring with a language partner or recording.
In US and UK, the main stress remains on the /ˈkjuː/ cluster, but vowels shift: US often shows a slightly shorter /ə/ and a clearer /ɪ/ in the final syllable; UK may have a more centralized /ə/ before /kjuː/. Australian tends to have a broader, more centralized /ə/ and a slightly longer /ɪ/ in the final syllable. Across all, the /r/ is not pronounced in non-rhotic accents; rhoticity applies mainly to American speech.
Because it combines a multisyllabic word with a foreign-looking cluster /kjuː/ and a non-stressed initial segment, which can cause misplacement of emphasis. The /ˌhaɪ/ is a short, strong onset; the /ə/ is an unstressed schwa that can be reduced; the /kjuː/ requires precise lip rounding to merge /k/ and /juː/; and the final /sɪs/ demands an unvoiced, crisp ending. Practicing the sequence helps solidify accurate articulation.
A key feature is the distinct /ˈkjuː/ syllable, which couples a hard /k/ with a high-front rounded /juː/ vowel; keeping the lip rounding consistent and avoiding an overly elongated /juː/ helps. Also, ensure the final /sɪs/ remains crisp and unvoiced. The leading /haɪ/ should be pronounced with a bright /aɪ/ vowel that blends smoothly into the /ə/ without creating a heavy pause.
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