3 syllables: par, kin, son. Stress on par.
PAHR-kin-suhn
/ˈpɑɹkɪnsən/
parkinson is pronounced PAHR-kin-suhn (/ˈpɑɹkɪnsən/). It has three syllables (par-kin-son), with the stress on "par". Parkinson is a proper noun referring to the neurologist James Parkinson or the neurodegenerative disease named after him; it is used as a surname and in medical contexts. The word is typically pronounced with two syllables and a stressed first syllable, and is treated as a polysyllabic name in English. In medical usage, it commonly appears in phrases like Parkinson’s disease or Parkinsonian symptoms.
Parkinson is a proper noun referring to the neurologist James Parkinson or the neurodegenerative disease named after him; it is used as a surname and in medical contexts. The word is typically pronounced with two syllables and a stressed first syllable, and is treated as a polysyllabic name in English. In medical usage, it commonly appears in phrases like Parkinson’s disease or Parkinsonian symptoms.
"Parkinson’s disease affects movement and coordination."
"Researchers study Parkinsonian tremors to understand motor control."
"The clinic offers treatments for Parkinson’s disease and related disorders."
Pronounce as par-KIN-sun with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US pɑɚˈkɪnsən, UK pɑːˈkɪnsən, AU pɑːˈkɪnsən. Start with a low-back open start, then a stressed mid vowel before the final syllable. You’ll want a clear schwa in the final 'son' if you're speaking fluidly. Audio references: see major dictionary entries or Pronounce resources for US/UK/AU samples to hear the second-syllable emphasis and the final schwa.
Common errors: 1) stressing the first syllable (par-KIN-sun vs parKINson); 2) misplacing the schwa in the final syllable (sound like par-KIN-sun vs par-KIN-sun with a reduced final). Correction: keep secondary stress on the second syllable, and produce a clear, reduced final vowel /ən/ rather than a fully pronounced 'on'. Practice saying pɑːˈkɪn-sən with a soft, neutral final vowel and avoid elongating the last syllable.
Across accents, the core is /ˈpɑːr.kɪn.sən/ but with variation: US tends to rhoticity and rhymes closer to ‘par-KIN-sun’ with a tighter /ɹ/; UK tends to a broader /ɑː/ in the first vowel and a crisp /ɪ/ in the second; AU often aligns with UK but with a slightly flatter intonation and more centralized final syllable. The final /ən/ tends to be a weak schwa in all, but length and vowel quality can vary by region.
The difficulty lies in the three-syllable structure with a mid-stressed second syllable and a final weak vowel; many speakers misplace stress or overarticulate the final syllable. Additionally, the initial unstressed vowels and the aspirated /p/ can blur when speaking quickly in continuous English. Focus on keeping the /ˈpɑːr.kɪn.sən/ rhythm, with crisp second-syllable stress and a soft final vowel.
There are no silent letters in parkinson; the challenge is the non-stress on the first syllable and the clear secondary stress on the second. You’ll want to maintain a strong emphasis on the second syllable with a distinct /ɪ/ as in kin, followed by a reduced final /sən/. This combination—stressed middle, weak final—drives the typical US/UK/AU patterns.
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Parkinson derives from the surname Parkinson, itself a patronymic form meaning “son of Parkin,” with Parkin a diminutive form of Peter. The surname appears in English-speaking contexts since at least the 19th century and became widely adopted in medical nomenclature due to James Parkinson (1755–1824), an English surgeon who first described the disease in 1817 in An Essay on the Shaking Palsy. The disease name Parkinson’s disease (often hyphenated or with the possessive apostrophe) honors his pioneering observation. Over time, the term Parkinsonian has been used to describe features associated with the syndrome, such as bradykinesia or resting tremor, emphasizing a characteristic clinical picture rather than a person. In modern usage, Parkinson’s disease is a standard medical term, and Parkinsonian describes related signs, symptoms, or patients who present with a parkinsonian syndrome. The evolution reflects 19th‑ to 20th‑century medical nomenclature conventions that attach eponymous identifiers to diseases and signs, a practice that continues in neurology today.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "parkinson" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "parkinson" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "parkinson"
-son sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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