5 syllables: Im, mu, no, lo, gy. Stress on no.
im-yoo-NAH-luh-jee
/ˌɪmjuˈnɑlədʒi/
Immunology is pronounced im-yoo-NAH-luh-jee (/ˌɪmjuˈnɑlədʒi/). It has five syllables (Im-mu-no-lo-gy), with the stress on "no". Immunology is a branch of biomedical science that studies the immune system, its structure, function, and disorders. It focuses on how the body defends itself against pathogens, and how vaccines, therapies, and various immune processes maintain health. The field integrates biology, chemistry, and medicine to understand immunity at the cellular and molecular levels.
nounImmunology is a branch of biomedical science that studies the immune system, its structure, function, and disorders. It focuses on how the body defends itself against pathogens, and how vaccines, therapies, and various immune processes maintain health. The field integrates biology, chemistry, and medicine to understand immunity at the cellular and molecular levels.
- You may mispronounce /ˌɪ.mjuˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ by slurring the /mju/ into /mj/ or dropping the /juː/ sound; practice with a light /j/ onset after /m/ and a clear /juː/ before /n/. - The middle syllable often elides; ensure you fully articulate /nɒl/ with a short, crisp /n/ and a rounded /ɒ/ to avoid /nɔl/ or /nɑl/. - The ending /dʒi/ can become a hard 'g' or be dropped; keep the voiced postalveolar affricate /dʒ/ and final /i/. Try saying 'im-myoo-NOL-uh-jee' in a precise cadence, then in a faster tempo.
"Her research specializes in immunology and vaccine development."
"The conference covered advances in immunology and autoimmune diseases."
"She pursued graduate studies in immunology to explore immune signaling pathways."
Pronounce as /ˌɪ.mjuˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ (US/UK) with four syllables: im-myu-NOL-uh-jee. Stress falls on the third syllable: -NOL-. Start with a light 'ih' plus 'm' then 'myoo' blend, nasalize 'n' before 'ol', and end with a soft 'jee' sound. Use a slight pause between 'im' and 'mu' if needed for clarity. You’ll hear the 'j' as a soft dʒ, like 'j' in 'jury'.
Common errors: misplacing stress (stressing the 'im' or 'mu' rather than 'nol'), pronouncing the second syllable as ‘im-MYOO-nol-uh-jee’ with a tense 'myoo' rather than a quick, neutral schwa+l. Another error is pronouncing the final -gy as a hard 'g' rather than a soft 'j' (dʒ). Correction: maintain /ˌɪ.mjuˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ with the 'ju' as /j/ plus /u/ and the final /dʒi/.
US/Iy: /ˌɪˌmjuˈnɑlə.dʒi/ toward rhotic pronunciation; UK/AU share /ˌɪ.mjuˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ with non-rhotic linking. The main differences: rhoticity affects 'r' following vowels in some US varieties (often silent). Vowel quality in the stressed syllable 'NOL' may be more open in UK/AU, while US may have a slightly higher vowel and faster cadence. The final 'gy' remains /dʒi/ in all variants.
The difficulty comes from the three-syllable rhythm and the cluster /mju/ in the second syllable, plus the obligation to pronounce the final /dʒi/. Also, the syllable boundary between 'mu' and 'n' may blur in fast speech, causing /ˌɪmjuˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ to sound like /ˌɪmˈjuː.nə.lə.dʒi/. Keeping the /j/ immediately after /m/ and the /n/ before the /ɒ/ helps clarity.
There are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation of immunology. Every letter contributes to the syllable and sound: the /ɪ/ in the first syllable, the /j/ + /u/ sequence to produce /juː/, the schwa in the middle, and the /dʒi/ at the end. Avoid silent-letter fantasies and aim for precise articulation of each phoneme.
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US: rhoticity often softens vowels and keeps /r/ out of this word; UK/AU: non-rhotic accents may have slightly more rounded /ɒ/ and less pronounced /r/ influence. Vowel quality: US may raise /ɪ/ to ~/i/ in fast speech; UK/AU may reduce /ɒ/ slightly toward /ɒː/. IPA anchors: /ˌɪ.mjʊˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ or /ˌɪ.mjuˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/. Consonants: keep /m/, /j/, /n/, and /dʒ/ distinct; avoid linking them into a single emission.
Immunology derives from the Latin immunis, meaning exempt or protected, combined with the Greek logia, meaning the study of. The term evolved in the 19th and early 20th centuries as scientists formalized the idea of immune protection and the body’s defenses. Early immunology emerged from studies on vaccination, passive transfer of immunity, and the identification of immune cells. The root immun- reflects exemption from disease, while -ology marks a field of study. First known use in this scientific sense appeared in the late 19th century as immunology became a distinct discipline separate from general medicine, with rapid growth following discoveries about antibodies, T cells, and immune signaling in the 20th century.
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Words that rhyme with "Immunology"
-ogy sounds
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