2 syllables: pro, lapse. Stress on pro.
/ˈproʊˌlæps/
Say it backProlapse is a medical term for the slipping or falling of a body part from its normal position, often due to weakness or pressure. It can refer to organs (such as uterine or rectal prolapse) or to anatomical structures (like a prolapsed valve). The word conveys a sense of descent or sagging, typically requiring clinical assessment or treatment.
"The patient reported a sensation of pelvic prolapse after prolonged coughing."
"Doctors diagnosed a uterine prolapse following the multiple childbirths."
"A rectal prolapse can occur in older adults with chronic constipation."
Pronounce as PRO-laps, with the first syllable stressed. IPA: US /ˈproʊlæps/, UK /ˈprɒlæps/, AU /ˈprɒləps/. Start with a rounded /oʊ/ in the first syllable (US) or a shorter /ɒ/ (UK/AU), followed by a clear /læ/ in the second syllable and ends with /ps/. The sequence is two syllables: PRO-laps, with final /ps/ unreleased or lightly released in fast speech.
Common errors include turning PRO into PRA- with a too-short vowel, or blending the second syllable into a schwa rather than /læps/. Another frequent misstep is mispronouncing the final /ps/ as /s/ or /z/ sound; keep it as /ps/ with a brief stop or a light voicing. Practicing the exact /æ/ in the second syllable and the /ps/ cluster helps avoid slurring. Listen to native medical narrations to internalize the rhythm and precise consonant release.
In US English, the first syllable carries stronger /oʊ/ closure and the second syllable uses /læps/, with final /ps/ crisp. In UK English, /ɒ/ in the first syllable yields PRO-læps with a shorter vowel, and the /p/ is aspirated. Australian tends toward /ɒ/ or /ɒə/ vowels in the first syllable and a clear /læps/ second syllable, similar to UK but with broader vowel quality. Overall, rhoticity minimally affects stress placement; the main variance is vowel height and duration in the first syllable.
The difficulty lies in the two-consonant cluster /ps/ at the end, which can be slurred or misarticulated as /s/ or /z/ in fast speech. The second syllable /læps/ requires a crisp /l/ followed quickly by the /æ/ and the /p/–/s/ release. Also, the first syllable requires a precise /proʊ/ (US) or /ɒ/ (UK/AU) vowel quality and clear onset. Mastery comes from practicing the exact timing and the stepwise release of the final consonant cluster.
The word is not typically stressed in a way that would hide the second syllable; stay with primary stress on the first syllable PRO-. A notable nuance is maintaining a short, non-diphthongized /æ/ in the second syllable and ensuring the /ps/ is released rather than assimilated into a following consonant. This clarity helps distinguish prolapse from similarly ending words like collapse (also two syllables but with a different vowel in the first syllable).
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Prolapse comes from the Latin prolapsus, past participle of prolabi, meaning to fall forward or slip down: pro- (forward) + labi (to slide). The term entered English medical vocabulary via Latin in the 16th–17th centuries as anatomy and pathology descriptions expanded. The core sense centers on a part slipping from its normal alignment, with the -p- sound preserved from Latin while the vowel qualities shifted in English. Over time, prolapse broadened beyond strictly anatomical contexts to describe any part that has descended or sagged. Early medical writers used phrases like prolapsus ani (anal prolapse), and the concept spread to other organs as diagnostic imaging and surgery advanced. In contemporary usage, prolapse is widely used in gynecology, colorectal medicine, cardiology, and urology, maintaining its Latin-rooted precision while appearing in both formal clinical literature and patient information.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "prolapse" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "prolapse"
-pse sounds
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