Intussusception

Say: in-TUS-suh-SEP-shən, with primary stress on the third syllable - the syllables break as in-tuss-u-sec-tion, but the medical term is often parsed as in-tuh-suh-SEP-shun. IPA guides: US/UK/AU /ɪnˌtʌsjuːˈsɛpʃən/. Start with /ɪ/ as in kit, then /n/; move to /ˌtʌs/ with a quick short /ʌ/; followed by /juː/ or /ju/ sounding like “you”; /ˈsɛp/ with a clear /ɛ/ as in bed; and end with /ʃən/. You’ll hear the emphasis most clearly on the /sɛp/ syllable. Audio reference: listen to medical diction in Pronounce or Forvo entries for “intussusception” to compare regional variants.

Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (e.g., stressing /ˈtʌs/ instead of /ˌsɛp/), and altering the sequence of consonants in the central cluster (pronouncing it as in-tuh-SUY-sep-shun or in-tuh-SU-shep-shun). Also, speakers may compress the middle /juː/ into a quick /ju/ or drop the /juː/ entirely, making it harder to hear the /juː/ leading sound. Correction tips: keep the multi-syllabic rhythm by clamping the /juː/ to a distinct syllable, sustain the /s/ before /ɛ/ clearly, and practice the /ʃən/ ending as a soft, clipped nasal.” ,

In US, the /ɪ/ initial is lax but quick; /ˌtʌsjuː/ has a clear /juː/ as in “you,” and the final /ˈsɛpʃən/ is schwa-like in the second syllable: s-EP-shən. UK speakers may have a slightly crisper /s/ and a shorter /juː/ duration, while AU tends toward a broader vowel quality in /ɪ/ and a slightly more relaxed /ˌtʌsjuː/ due to non-rhotic tendencies merging with /ɪ/. Across all, rhoticity is generally non-rhotic in UK/AU; US often rhotic in connected speech, affecting the r-coloring between segments. Practically, maintain the /juː/ as a distinct glide and the /s/ + /ɛ/ sequence clearly.

The difficulty stems from the long, multi-syllabic word with a dense consonant cluster around the /sjuː/ sequence and the late entrance of the /ˈsɛp/ syllable. The timing of the primary stress, unusual stem morphology, and the mix of unstressed and stressed syllables complicate speech fluency. Additionally, the /juː/ glide after /s/ and the final /ʃən/ require precise tongue and lip shaping to avoid slurring. Practice with slow, steady repeats and targeted minimal pairs to anchor the rhythm.

Is the /juː/ in the middle always pronounced as a separate syllable across medical documentation? Typically yes, in most American and British medical pronunciations, the /juː/ is a distinct syllable: in-tus-su-cep-tion or in-tuh-suh-SEP-shən, depending on speaker style. However, some rapid clinicians may blur it slightly into /jə/ or a lighter /ju/ effort in fast dictation. The key is to maintain a distinct /juː/ to preserve the same syllabic rhythm and avoid mishearing as a simpler word.