2 syllables: Plate, lets. Stress on Plate.
PLAYT-luhts
/ˈpleɪtləts/
Platelets is pronounced PLAYT-luhts (/ˈpleɪtləts/). It has two syllables (Plate-lets), with the stress on "Plate". Platelets are small, disc-shaped cell fragments in the blood that play a key role in clotting and wound healing. They circulate in the bloodstream and activate to form clots at injury sites. In medicine and biology, they are essential for hemostasis and are measured in blood tests to assess clotting function.
nounPlatelets are small, disc-shaped cell fragments in the blood that play a key role in clotting and wound healing. They circulate in the bloodstream and activate to form clots at injury sites. In medicine and biology, they are essential for hemostasis and are measured in blood tests to assess clotting function.
"Her doctor ordered a platelet count to evaluate her bleeding risk."
"Platelets release clotting factors when a vessel is damaged."
"The lab analyzed platelet activity after the patient received treatment."
Pronounce as /ˈpleɪ.tl͡ɪts/ in US and UK; Australian follows the same pattern: /ˈpleɪ.təl.ɪts/ or /ˈpleɪ.tlɪts/. The primary stress is on the first syllable PLEI-, with a light, quick -tl- cluster followed by -ets. Begin with the /pleɪ/ vowel as in 'play' and glide to the alveolar stop cluster /t/ + /l/. The ending is a short /ɪts/ or /ɪts/ depending on speaker.”,
Common errors include saying the second syllable as /tə/ instead of /tlɪ/ or dropping the t from the /t/ after /l/. Another frequent issue is misplacing the /l/ and mis-articulating the /tl/ cluster as separate, producing /pleɪl.tɪts/. Correct approach is to fuse the /t/ and /l/ into a quick /tl/ onset in the second syllable: /ˈpleɪ.tlɪts/. Practice by saying ‘play’ + ‘tlits’ smoothly.”,
In US, UK, and AU, platelets remains stressed on the first syllable: /ˈpleɪ.tlɪts/ (US) or /ˈpleɪ.təl.ɪts/ (UK/AU). The main differences are subtle vowel quality in the second syllable: US tends toward a shorter, tighter /ɪ/ in -lits, while UK often shows a slightly lighter /ə/ in the second syllable. Rhoticity does not alter the word itself, but accent can affect the perceived vowel duration. Overall, keep the /pleɪ/ nucleus stable and compress the /tl/ into a single rapid onset.”,
The difficulty centers on the /tl/ cluster following the stressed nucleus and the final /ɪts/ suffix. The /tl/ sequence is a rare English cluster that demands precise timing: the /t/ must quickly release into the /l/ while keeping the tongue near the alveolar ridge. Additionally, the ending /ɪts/ can drag if the /t/ becomes lenited. Focusing on a tight /tl/ release and short, crisp final /ts/ helps secure accurate pronunciation.
Does 'platelets' ever sound like 'plates' in fast speech? Not typically. The plural adds the /lɪts/ suffix; in fast connected speech, you might hear a reduced form like /ˈpleɪlɪts/ if the /t/ and /l/ blend aggressively, but the standard authoritative form remains /ˈpleɪtlɪts/. Keeping the middle /tl/ crisp prevents conflating with the simpler ‘plates.’
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Platelets traces to late Middle English platelet from platelet, diminutive of plate meaning a flat, circular disk. The term plate originally referred to a flat sheet or disk, and the diminutive suffix -let conveyed smallness. The biological sense emerged in the 19th century as microscopy revealed tiny, plate-like cell fragments in blood. The word thrombocyte, from Greek thrombos ‘clot’ + kutos ‘cell,’ is a synonym often used in hematology, but platelet became the common clinical term in English. First known use of platelet in a hematological context appeared in the 1900s as Wright and colleagues described small, plate-like particles involved in coagulation, later refining the definition to platelets/n thrombocytes as nucleated fragments, then the notional modern view of platelets as anucleate cytoplasmic fragments essential for hemostasis. Over the 20th century, platelets became central to laboratories’ complete blood counts and clotting studies, shaping medical practice around platelet counts and function tests.
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Words that rhyme with "Platelets"
-ets sounds
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