4 syllables: me, la, no, ma. Stress on no.
mel-uh-NOH-muh
/ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/
melanoma is pronounced mel-uh-NOH-muh (/ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/). It has four syllables (me-la-no-ma), with the stress on "no". Melanoma is a type of skin cancer arising from pigment-producing melanocytes. It tends to be more aggressive than many other skin cancers but is highly treatable when detected early. The term combines the Greek melas (“dark”) with -oma (“tumor”).
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer arising from pigment-producing melanocytes. It tends to be more aggressive than many other skin cancers but is highly treatable when detected early. The term combines the Greek melas (“dark”) with -oma (“tumor”).
"Her dermatologist diagnosed a suspicious mole as melanoma and recommended immediate treatment."
"Researchers are studying melanoma to understand its progression and discover targeted therapies."
"Patients with melanoma often undergo surgical removal, followed by monitoring for recurrence."
Pronounce as /ˌmɛl.əˈnoʊ.mə/ in US English, with primary stress on the third syllable: mel-a-NO-ma. In IPA: US /ˌmɛl.əˈnoʊ.mə/, UK /ˌmel.əˈnoʊ.mə/, AU /ˌmel.əˈnoː.mə/. The syllables break as meh-luh-NO-muh; ensure the 'la' is unstressed and clear, and end with a lightly pronounced second “o” and final “ma.” Audio references: you can verify with Cambridge or Forvo entries and Pronounce.”},{
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing stress on -la- instead of -no-), merging syllables (mel-uh-noh-muh becoming meld-uh-nom-uh), or mispronouncing the second vowel as a long “a” or “e” sound. Correction tips: practice as three beats: me-la-NO-ma; use a light, quick secondary stress on me- and -ma; exaggerate the mid syllable briefly to cement the -NO- as the peak. Listening practice with native speakers helps confirm the correct rhythm.
US tends to pronounce the second syllable with a relaxed schwa before the stressed -no-, yielding /ˌmɛl.əˈnoʊ.mə/. UK keeps a similar pattern but with a crisper vowels, /ˌmel.əˈnəʊ.mə/ depending on speaker; AU often mirrors US vowels but with Australian vowel quality, and tends to have a slightly flatter intonation contour. Across accents, the main difference is vowel quality in the second syllable and the rhoticity (US rhotic vs some UK varieties non-rhotic in careful speech). IPA notes reflect these tendencies.
Melanoma presents phonetic challenges due to its multi-syllabic structure and vowel sounds that are not always intuitive for non-native speakers. The primary stress falls on the third syllable, with a reduced first syllable and rounded mid vowel in -no-. The combination of /ˌmɛl.əˈnoʊ.mə/ involves a diphthong in -no-, a subtle schwa in -la-, and a final unstressed -mə, which can be easy to swallow in fast speech.
A distinctive feature is maintaining clear separation between syllables me-la-no-ma, ensuring the central -no- carries the peak stress rather than the initial or final segments. This helps prevent trailing sounds from blurring into the adjacent syllables. Also, keep the final -ma light and short; avoid turning it into -muh or elongating it.
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Melanoma derives from the Greek melas, meaning “black, dark,” and -oma, meaning “tumor.” The term entered medical usage in the 19th century as pathologists described tumors arising from melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the skin. The earliest reported uses align with broader oncology terminology centering on pigment-related neoplasms. The combination of melano- (Greek melano-, from melas) with -oma signaled a tumor of pigmented origin. Over time, the word broadened to include melanocytic lesions beyond the skin, including mucosal locations. Historically, melanoma was once treated similarly to other skin cancers, but advances in surgical margins, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and systemic therapies increased specificity of terminology for this aggressive melanoma subtype. In modern medical language, melanoma is recognized as a malignant tumor with a predilection for rapid growth and potential metastasis, underscoring the evolution from descriptive pigment-based naming to a precise oncologic category.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "melanoma" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "melanoma"
-oma sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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