2 syllables: Rhyt, ides. Stress on Rhyt.
RIT-idz
/ˈɹɪtɪdz/
Rhytides is pronounced RIT-idz (/ˈɹɪtɪdz/). It has two syllables (Rhyt-ides), with the stress on "Rhyt". Rhytides refers to wrinkles or folds, especially on the skin. It’s a specialized plural noun used in dermatology and anatomy to describe creases that develop with age or skin trauma. The term is formal and clinical, often found in medical literature or scholarly discussions about skin morphology.
nounRhytides refers to wrinkles or folds, especially on the skin. It’s a specialized plural noun used in dermatology and anatomy to describe creases that develop with age or skin trauma. The term is formal and clinical, often found in medical literature or scholarly discussions about skin morphology.
How to Pronounce Rhytides
"The aging process leads to facial rhytides that deepen with sun exposure."
"A dermatologist discussed rhytides as part of the patient’s age-related changes."
"Cosmetic treatments aim to reduce pronounced rhytides around the eyes and mouth."
Pronunciation is /ˈraɪˌtaɪdz/. The first syllable carries primary stress, rhymes with ‘rise’; the second syllable has a secondary stress. The sequence ‘-tides’ sounds like /taɪdz/, with a voiced dz ending. Place the tongue high for /aɪ/ in both syllables; lips near neutral to lightly spread. For audio reference, imagine saying ‘rye’ + ‘ties’ together, but with a subtle y-sound linking the two vowel sounds. IPA helps ensure accuracy across readers.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (treating it as /ˈriːtəˌɪdz/ or /ˈraɪtiːdz/) and confusing the /taɪdz/ ending with a hard /z/ after a voiced /d/. Correct form uses /ˈraɪˌtaɪdz/ with a clear /taɪ/ sequence and a final /dz/ sound. Another frequent slip is reducing the /ai/ diphthong in the second syllable, producing /taɪd/ instead of /taɪdz/. Focus on preserving the long /ai/ in both syllables and finishing with a clear /dz/ rather than /d/.
Across accents, the core /ˈraɪ/ remains stable, but the /dz/ ending can soften in some UK varieties, sounding closer to /z/ or /dɪz/ in connected speech. US and AU tend to maintain a crisp /dz/ release; the UK may show a slightly shorter second syllable and less vowel length in the /aɪ/ of the second syllable due to non-rhotic tendencies in casual speech. Overall, the main variance is in final consonant aspiration and tempo, not vowel quality. IPA still guides you toward accuracy.
The difficulty lies in preserving the two distinct /aɪ/ diphthongs in a row, with a secondary stress shift and a demanding /dz/ ending. The tongue must coordinate quickly from /aɪ/ in the first syllable to /aɪ/ again, then transition to the voiced affricate /dz/. In connected speech, the /dz/ can elide or soften, and some speakers may devoice the ending in rapid talk. Practicing the precise onset of the /t/ cluster before the /aɪ/ helps maintain clarity.
A unique aspect is the hiatus-like moment between the two /aɪ/ sequences; the second /aɪ/ begins after a light pause that often accompanies careful medical pronunciation. This separation helps prevent blending the syllables into /ˈraɪtaɪz/ without the depressed rhythm some speakers adopt when rushing. Emphasize keeping the two /aɪ/ sounds distinct, with a slight, natural pause to preserve the two-syllable rhythm.
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Rhytides comes from the Greek word rhytis (meaning wrinkle) with the Greek plural suffix -ides, denoting a plural formed in Latin as rhytides. The root rhyt- is from rhytis, related to rheid and rhyt-h, all tied to folding or wrinkling. The term made its way into medical Latin as rhytides, used to describe plural wrinkles on tissue. Historically, early anatomical writings in Greek and Roman sources used rhtytone or rhytos to describe folds; later translators standardized the form to rhytides in scholarly English, maintaining the sense of multiple creases on a surface. First known use in English medical literature appears in late 19th to early 20th century dermatology texts, aligning with a period of codifying skin pathology terminology. Over time, rhytides has remained a precise, occasionally clinical, descriptor in journals & cosmetic science, rarely used in everyday speech except by clinicians and researchers.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Rhytides" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Rhytides"
-ies sounds
-hts sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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