3 syllables: Or, gas, m. Stress on Or.
AWR-gaz-uhm
/ˈɔɹɡæzəm/
Orgasm is pronounced AWR-gaz-uhm (/ˈɔɹɡæzəm/). It has three syllables (Or-gas-m), with the stress on "Or". Orgasm is the peak of sexual pleasure, typically marked by rhythmic contractions and intense sensations. As a noun, it describes the climactic moment or phase of arousal, often used in both clinical and colloquial contexts. It refers to the sense of release and culmination that follows sexual stimulation.
nounOrgasm is the peak of sexual pleasure, typically marked by rhythmic contractions and intense sensations. As a noun, it describes the climactic moment or phase of arousal, often used in both clinical and colloquial contexts. It refers to the sense of release and culmination that follows sexual stimulation.
How to Pronounce Orgasm
"During intercourse, many report stronger orgasms when arousal is gradual and sustained."
"The book discusses the physiology behind the female orgasm and its reproductive significance."
"He laughed nervously, then surprised himself by reaching an intense orgasm."
US/UK/AU pronunciation centers on three syllables: or-gasm with stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /ɔːrˈɡæz.əm/ or /ɔːrˈɡæzəm/? UK /ɔːˈɡæz(ə)m/ AU /ɔːˈɡæzəm/. Focus on the stressed syllable: -gas- with a short æ vowel like ‘cat,’ followed by a soft schwa or reduced 'ə' in the final syllable. Lip rounding is moderate; the first syllable has an open back vowel; ensure the 'r' is pronounced in rhotic accents or silent in non-rhotic contexts. You’ll hear the second syllable clearly peak, then a light, unstressed final -m.
Common errors: (1) misplacing stress, pronouncing or-GAS-m or OR-gasm; (2) mispronouncing the middle vowel as a long 'a' or as a schwa in the wrong place; (3) omitting the final -m or producing a nasalized ending. Correction: place primary stress on the second syllable: /ɔːrˈɡæz(ə)m/; use a short æ in the middle, and finish with a light final -m. Practice with minimal pairs to ensure the mid-stress syllable carries the emphasis and the final -m stays audible but not overly forceful.
Across accents, the first syllable can vary: US and UK both have an /ɔːr/ onset with rhotic variation. US often pronounces the /r/ clearly in all positions; UK can be non-rhotic in some dialects, which slightly softens the r-less pattern (though many speakers still produce a postvocalic 'r' in careful speech). The middle vowel is /æ/ as in 'cat' in most speech, with UK sometimes merging to a broader /æ/ or a more centralized /æː/. Final syllable /zəm/ tends to be unstressed and reduced to /zəm/ in all. Australian pronunciation is rhotic with a somewhat clearer /r/ but often broader vowels. Overall: US: /ɔːɹˈɡæz əm/ UK: /ɒːˈɡæz əm/ AU: /ɔːˈɡæz əm/.
The difficulty lies in the mid-stress positioning and the “gasm” cluster, which can lead to conflating with words like ‘gas’ or ‘gasps.’ The /ɔː/ in the first syllable is a long, rounded vowel that often aligns with non-native vowel systems, and the second syllable’s short /æ/ must be crisp before the softer /z/ and final /əm/. Additionally, the ending /əm/ can collapse toward a muted /əm/ or an aspirated /ɛm/, depending on speaker. Focus on maintaining a stable /æ/ and a light, audible final -m.
The word’s three-letter middle cluster approximates 'gas' within 'orgasm,' and many learners misplace the stress or flatten the /æ/ to a more neutral vowel. You’ll want to keep the /æ/ distinct from the surrounding vowels and ensure you release the final nasal /m/ without extra voicing. A good trick: practice the sequence or- + gasm with a quick, clean transition from /r/ to /ɡ/ to /æ/ without adding extra vowel length.
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Orgasm comes from the Greek organon meaning ‘instrument’ or ‘tool’ and the suffix -ism indicating a state or condition. The term entered medical English in the 17th century through late Latin and French translations of Greek medical treatises, where it was used to denote the peak experience of sexual excitement. The original sense focused on the physiological phenomena of sexual function and climax, evolving in clinical literature to describe both subjective sensation and observable muscular contractions. Over time, orgasm broadened in common usage to describe sexual climax for all genders, while retaining its clinical meaning in sexology. First known uses appear in early modern medical texts that discuss sexuality, followed by broader literature in the 19th and 20th centuries as sex education and psychology emerged as fields of study.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Orgasm" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Orgasm"
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