2 syllables: Kel, oid. Stress on Kel.
KEL-oyd
/ˈkɛlɔɪd/
Keloid is pronounced KEL-oyd (/ˈkɛlɔɪd/). It has two syllables (Kel-oid), with the stress on "Kel". Keloid is a raised, thickened scar that grows beyond the boundaries of the original wound due to excessive collagen formation. It can be persistent, sometimes itchy or tender, and may recur after treatment. The term is used in dermatology to describe a scar that extends beyond the skin’s initial injury. (About 2–4 sentences, 50–80 words.).
nounKeloid is a raised, thickened scar that grows beyond the boundaries of the original wound due to excessive collagen formation. It can be persistent, sometimes itchy or tender, and may recur after treatment. The term is used in dermatology to describe a scar that extends beyond the skin’s initial injury. (About 2–4 sentences, 50–80 words.)
"After the surgery, she developed a noticeable keloid on her chest."
"The dermatologist recommended treatment to reduce the size of the keloid."
"Keloids are more common in people with darker skin tones."
You pronounce it as /ˈkiː.lɔɪd/ in US and UK dictionaries. The first syllable is stressed: KEE. The second syllable rhymes with 'void', but with an /ɔɪ/ diphthong: “oy.” The mouth starts wide for /iː/ and then shifts to a mid-back rounded vowel for /ɔɪ/. IPA: US /ˈkiː.lɔɪd/, UK /ˈkiː.lɔɪd/, AU /ˈkiː.lɔɪd/. You’ll hear a clean split between syllables: KEE-lawyd, with a crisp final d.
Common errors: 1) stressing the second syllable instead of the first (say kee-LOID); 2) mispronouncing /ɔɪ/ as /ɒ/ or /aɪ/—it’s a mid-back rounded diphthong, like ‘oy’ in 'boy' but with a shorter first vowel. Correct by shaping a long /iː/ for the first vowel and then a rounded /ɔɪ/ glide. 3) slurring /d/ at the end; keep final /d/ crisp but not devoiced. Practice with “keep” + “void” blend to ensure the /l/ sits between the vowels.
US/UK share /ˈkiː.lɔɪd/ for standard usage, with slight rhotic or non-rhotic variations affecting the /l/ lightness and the following vowel length. US tends to be more rhotic and may articulate a crisper /d/, UK can reduce the final vowel slightly, while Australian English often lengthens the /iː/ slightly and maintains a clear /ɔɪ/ diphthong. The primary difference is vowel quality and rhythm rather than a change in segmental phonemes.
The difficulty lies in the /ɔɪ/ diphthong: start near /ɔ/ but glide to /ɪ/ plus the rounded lip shape needed for /ɔɪ/. Many speakers mispronounce as /oʊ/ or /aɪ/. The final /d/ can be unreleased in quick speech, altering clarity. Also, the initial /k/ can blend with the preceding word if talking quickly, so you’ll want a clean pause between the first syllable and the /ɔɪ/.
Is there a silent letter in 'Keloid'? No letters are silent. The word has three sounds with two vowels in the second syllable; stress on the first syllable. The tricky part is producing the /ɔɪ/ correctly and maintaining a crisp, voiced /d/ at the end. Focus on keeping the first syllable /kiː/ long and clear, then glide into /lɔɪ/ for an even, natural rhythm.
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US: Rhotic, crisper /ɹ/ and a more open /ɔɪ/ quality in the second syllable; lige with a slight voice onset time. UK: slightly less r-coloring, more precise /l/ and shorter /ɔɪ/; Montone vowel rounding is subtle. AU: clear /iː/, with a slightly longer /ɔɪ/; vowels can be a touch more centralized. Overall, keep US as baseline; adjust lip rounding to match accent, but the core /ˈkiː.lɔɪd/ remains stable.
Keloid comes from the Greek word keil, meaning 'to burn' or 'to inflame,' reflecting the scar’s aggressive, inflamed nature. The suffix -oid (from Greek -oeidēs) means 'resembling' or 'like,' so keloid literally means 'resembling a burn' in earlier medical usage. The term entered English medical literature in the late 18th to early 19th century as clinicians described aberrant scar tissue that developed beyond wound margins. Over time, it became the standard descriptor for this hypertrophic, proliferative scar that extends past the original injury and can be difficult to treat. Modern dermatology distinguishes keloids from hypertrophic scars by their tendency to continue growing beyond the wound edges, their persistence, and higher recurrence rates after treatment. The word reflects both its pathological appearance and historical observation of abnormal scar tissue growth following skin injury.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Keloid" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Keloid" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Keloid"
-oid sounds
-loy sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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