6 syllables: In, fi, ni, te, si, mal. Stress on te.
in-fin-it-ES-im-uhl
/ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtɛsɪməl/
Infinitesimal is pronounced in-fin-it-ES-im-uhl (/ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtɛsɪməl/). It has six syllables (In-fi-ni-te-si-mal), with the stress on "te". Infinitesimal refers to something vanishingly small, essentially approaching zero in size or amount. In mathematics and science, it describes quantities smaller than any finite unit, yet not zero, often used in calculus contexts. The term emphasizes extreme minuteness and precision in measurement or consideration.
nounInfinitesimal refers to something vanishingly small, essentially approaching zero in size or amount. In mathematics and science, it describes quantities smaller than any finite unit, yet not zero, often used in calculus contexts. The term emphasizes extreme minuteness and precision in measurement or consideration.
"The researcher noted an infinitesimal difference between the two measurements, effectively negligible."
"In calculus, one considers infinitesimal changes in variables to derive derivatives."
"The philosopher debated whether an infinitesimal moment could exist in a sequence of events."
You say in.fɪ.nɪˈtɛ.sɪ.məl. The stress falls on the third syllable: in-fi-ni-TE-si-mal. Start with a light 'in' sound, then 'fi' as in 'fin', 'ni' as in 'knee', then the stressed 'te' with a clear 't' and 'e' like in 'met', followed by 'si' (short i), and finish with 'mal' with a relaxed 'l'. IPA: US/UK/AU US: ˌɪn.fɪ.nɪˈtɛs.ɪ.məl; UK: ˌɪn.fɪ.nɪˈtɛs.ɪ.məl; AU: ˌɪn.fɪ.nɪˈtɛs.ɪ.məl.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (shifting it to the wrong syllable), blending the middle syllables into a single 'fi-nes' sound, and pronouncing 'ti' as a hard 't' followed by a long 'ee' instead of a short 'ɪ' in the second-to-last syllable. Correction: keep the stress on the third or fourth syllable ('te' in this form) and pronounce the sequence as 'na-ti-sé-si-mal' with a short schwa-like reduction in unstressed vowels. Practice slow, then increase speed while maintaining accuracy.
In US, UK, and AU, the main variation is vowel quality and rhotics. The 'in-f' prefix sounds like /ɪn.fɪ/ in all, but the stressed 'ˈtɛs' tends to be crisper in American speech; non-rhotic UK speakers may have weaker postvocalic r-like cues but not in this word. The final '-məl' often reduces to a light 'məl' in all accents, with Australian speakers sometimes preserving a slightly clearer 'l' at the end.
The difficulty comes from the multi-syllable sequence that balances several short vowels, plus the 'ti' cluster that can confuse learners: you must produce a clear 't' followed quickly by an unstressed 'e' or 'ɪ' sound. Also, maintaining stress on the long second-to-last syllable while not reducing adjacent vowels requires controlled tempo and precise tongue placement. IPA guidance helps, but practice with patient repetition is key.
A unique feature is the combination of two i-like vowels in close proximity (infini-), which can tempt learners to shorten or flatten the stress pattern. The correct rhythm places primary stress on the antepenultimate or penultimate syllable, depending on variant, and requires careful separation of adjacent /n/ and /t/ sounds to avoid blending. Focus on syllable boundaries and muscle memory for smooth delivery.
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Infinitesimal comes from the late Latin infinitesimus, from infinitus meaning unlimited or infinite, which itself derives from the root in- (not) + finite. The suffix -inal forms a diminutive/qualitative adjective indicating something related to or arising from a limit. The mathematical usage emerged in the 17th century alongside the development of infinitesimal calculus by Newton and Leibniz, where infinitesimals described quantities smaller than any finite magnitude but not zero. The word began to denote a nonzero, arbitrarily small quantity in rigorous limits and differential calculus, later expanding into general scientific and philosophical discourse about minute or negligible amounts. The spelling stabilized in English by the 18th century, though the concept and notation evolved with the formal definition of limits in the 19th and 20th centuries, shaping modern analysis. First known use in English literature aligns with the rise of calculus-related terminology in scholarly writings of the 17th–18th centuries.
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Words that rhyme with "Infinitesimal"
-nal sounds
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