3 syllables: re, sorp, tion. Stress on sorp.
ree-ZAWRP-suhn
/ˌɹiˈzɔːrpsən/
resorption is pronounced ree-ZAWRP-suhn (/ˌɹiˈzɔːrpsən/). It has three syllables (re-sorp-tion), with the stress on "sorp". Resorption refers to the process by which substances, such as bone or tissue, are absorbed and assimilated back into the body or a system. The term is used in biology and medicine to describe the reabsorption phase where previously formed material is broken down and taken up by cells or circulatory processes. It implies a gradual, often physiological, removal or uptake rather than elimination.
Resorption refers to the process by which substances, such as bone or tissue, are absorbed and assimilated back into the body or a system. The term is used in biology and medicine to describe the reabsorption phase where previously formed material is broken down and taken up by cells or circulatory processes. It implies a gradual, often physiological, removal or uptake rather than elimination.
"The bone resorption process can accelerate in osteoporosis."
"Dental implants may be affected by increasing resorption of surrounding bone."
"During healing, resorption of damaged tissue is followed by new tissue formation."
You say /rɪˈsɔːrpʃən/ in US and UK, with the primary stress on the second syllable: re-SORP-tion. The middle consonant cluster -sor- contains an /sɔːr/ vowel sequence, followed by /p/ and a final schwa + /n/. In careful speech, ensure the /r/ is audible after the /ɪ/ and the /ɔːr/ sounds like “sor” in “sore.” Audio references: try Canonical pronunciations on Forvo or Cambridge audio, and mirror native scientific talks for cadence.
Common errors: replacing /sɔːr/ with a short /sɔr/ as in ‘sor’; misplacing stress by saying re-SORP-tion with reduced emphasis on the second syllable; and dropping the final schwa in rapid speech. Correction tips: exaggerate the second syllable slightly to fix the stress, pronounce the long /ɔː/ clearly as in “saw,” and finish with a crisp /ən/ rather than a reduced nasal. Listening to scientific narrations helps align rhythm.
In US, the /ɪ/ in the first syllable is often reduced, but the second syllable carries primary stress: re-SORP-tion, with a rhotic American /r/ before the /p/. UK typically preserves a similar stress pattern, but vowel qualities may be less rhotic in rapid connected speech; the /ɔː/ tends to be a broader vowel in careful UK speech. Australian English often has a slightly more centralized /ɔː/ and a more clipped final syllable, yet stress remains on the second syllable.
Two main challenges: the diphthongal /ɔːr/ in the stressed syllable and the final unstressed /ən/ that can drift toward a syllabic /n/ or a full /ən/. Practicing the sequence re-SORP-tion requires precise tongue elevation for /ɔːr/, a strong but not rolled /r/, and a relaxed mouth for the final schwa. Begin with slower tempo, then progressively speed up while maintaining the vowel integrity and final syllable clarity.
A useful focus is ensuring the /r/ after the /ɪ/ is not swallowed and that the /ɔːr/ is distinctly heard before /p/. Some speakers add a slight hiatus between /sor/ and /p/ to avoid a run-together cluster: re- /sɔːr/ /p/ tion. Visualize shaping the mouth: lips rounded for /ɔː/ and /r/ raised at the alveolar ridge, then a clean stop at /p/ followed by the soft /ən/.
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Resorption derives from the Latin re- meaning back or again, combined with sorption from the French sorption (from Latin sorpt- ‘sorbere’ meaning to suck up or absorb). The prefix re- signals a backward or returning action, while sorption (from -sorbere) refers to the act of taking in or absorbing substances. In English medical usage, resorption became established to denote the backward dissolution and uptake of tissues or materials into the body. The term first appears in early modern medical literature, paralleling other scientific terms like reabsorption and absorption, as scientists described processes of tissue breakdown and reconsolidation within the body. Over time, resorption has specialized nuance in fields such as dentistry (bone resorption around teeth), orthopedics (resorption of bone), and pharmacology (resorption of administered substances). Its meaning has broadened from general absorption to a precise, phase-specific removal or uptake process, especially where cells such as osteoclasts or macrophages participate in the breakdown and clearance of material.
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Words that rhyme with "resorption"
-ion sounds
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