4 syllables: mul, ti, ple sclero, sis. Stress on mul.
MUHL-tip-uhls-kluh-roh-sis
/ˈmʌl.tɪ.pəl skləˌroʊ.sɪs/
Multiple Sclerosis is pronounced MUHL-tip-uhls-kluh-roh-sis (/ˈmʌl.tɪ.pəl skləˌroʊ.sɪs/). It has four syllables (mul-ti-ple sclero-sis), with the stress on "mul". As a noun, a chronic autoimmune neurological disease characterized by the brain and spinal cord's myelin sheath damage, leading to intermittent neurological symptoms. It involves periods of relapse and remission, with variable progression and disability, depending on lesion locations and treatment response. The term combines 'multiple' (many) and 'sclerosis' (hardening) to describe widespread demyelination.
nounA chronic autoimmune neurological disease characterized by the brain and spinal cord's myelin sheath damage, leading to intermittent neurological symptoms. It involves periods of relapse and remission, with variable progression and disability, depending on lesion locations and treatment response. The term combines 'multiple' (many) and 'sclerosis' (hardening) to describe widespread demyelination.
"She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after a series of neurological tests."
"Researchers are exploring new therapies to slow the progression of Multiple Sclerosis."
"The conference included sessions on symptom management for people living with Multiple Sclerosis."
Pronounce as /ˌməlˈtɪpl sɪˈroʊ.sɪs/ in US; UK often /ˌmʌlˈtɪp.əl sɪˈrɒsˌɪs/ or /-ˈroʊ.sɪs/. Stress falls on the second syllable of 'Multiple' (mul-TI-ple) and on the first syllable of 'Sclerosis' (SCLER-osis) with secondary stress on -o- in 'sclerosis'. Start with /ˈməl/ or /ˈmʌl/ for 'mul', then /ˈtɪp.l/ or /ˈtɪp.lə/, and end with /sɪˈroʊ.sɪs/. Audio reference: consult medical dictionaria or Pronounce, then mimic the three-syllable rhythm of 'mul-ti-ple' followed by two-syllable 'sclerosis'.
Common errors include saying 'mul-tee-puhl' with wrong stress on 'Multiple' (first syllable) and softening 'sclerosis' to /ˈsloʊ.sɪs/; or running 'multiple' and 'sclerosis' together as one word. Correct by stressing the second syllable of 'Multiple' (/ˈtɪp/), delineating 'sclerosis' as /səˈroʊ.sɪs/. Practice with slow, deliberate syllable breaks: MUL-ti-ple SCLER-O-sis, then speed up while preserving the two-word boundary.
US typically stresses mul-TI-pəl and has rhotic /r/ in 'sclerosis' frame, with 'ro' pronounced /roʊ/; UK often uses /ˌmʌlˈtɪp.əl sɪˈrɒs.ɪs/ with non-rhotic /r/ after vowels, and vowels lean to clipped /ɒ/ in 'sclerosis'. Australian tends to a broad /ɜː/ or /ɒ/ variant in 'sclerosis', with some vowel shifts in 'Multiple'. Overall, second-syllable stress persists; vowel qualities shift, rhotics vary; practice listening to medical broadcasts in each region.
Its difficulty comes from the cluster of consonants in 'multip-le' and the 'sclerosis' cluster, plus the 's' start of the second word and the 'ro' vowel sequence. The 'ri' or 'ro' diphthongs require precise tongue advancement, and the two-word boundary demands careful pauses. Stress on 'TI' in 'Multiple' and 'RO' in 'Sclerosis' must be clear for intelligibility; practice with slow tempo and phoneme drills to master the rhythm.
There are no silent letters; all letters participate in producing syllables, but some vowels influence pronunciation (the 'i' in 'multiple' acts as part of the 'ti' sound, and the 'e' in 'sclerosis' isn't silent but part of the ending -sis). The primary challenge is accurate vowel quality and the division between the words, not silent letters. Focus on audible syllable breaks and consistent vowel sounds.
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Multiple derives from Latin multus meaning 'many' or 'much', via French multiple. Sclerosis comes from Greek sklerosis meaning 'hardening', from skleros ‘hard’. The compound term appeared in medical usage to describe demyelination in multiple CNS regions. The idea of ’sclerosis’ as hardening of tissue predates neurological contexts, with earliest uses in pathology describing hardening of tissues. In the 19th and 20th centuries, clinicians began to label diseases by patterns of demyelination and distribution (e.g., disseminated plaques). The modern term “Multiple Sclerosis” became standardized as imaging and neuropathology confirmed widespread CNS lesions in the late 20th century, though the condition’s name predates modern disease-modifying therapies. First known uses appeared in medical texts in the 1860s–1880s as physicians described demyelinating phenomena in several patients, leading to the terminology that conveys both multiplicity and sclerosis across the CNS.
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Words that rhyme with "Multiple Sclerosis"
-ar) sounds
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