3 syllables: Stea, to, sis. Stress on to.
stee-TOH-sis
/stiːˈtoʊsɪs/
Steatosis is pronounced stee-TOH-sis (/stiːˈtoʊsɪs/). It has three syllables (Stea-to-sis), with the stress on "to". Steatosis refers to abnormal fat accumulation within cells or tissues, most commonly in the liver (hepatic steatosis). It is a non-inflammatory condition that can result from metabolic factors, alcohol use, or certain medications, and may progress to steatohepatitis if unchecked. In medical contexts, it is used to describe a fatty change in organs, typically diagnosed via imaging or biopsy.
nounSteatosis refers to abnormal fat accumulation within cells or tissues, most commonly in the liver (hepatic steatosis). It is a non-inflammatory condition that can result from metabolic factors, alcohol use, or certain medications, and may progress to steatohepatitis if unchecked. In medical contexts, it is used to describe a fatty change in organs, typically diagnosed via imaging or biopsy.
"The patient's ultrasound showed hepatic steatosis consistent with fatty liver disease."
"Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to steatosis even in the absence of other liver abnormalities."
"Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by hepatic steatosis in individuals who drink little to no alcohol."
Steatosis is pronounced sti-EE-tuh-sis with primary stress on the second syllable: sti-EE-to-sis. In IPA: /stəˈeɪtəsɪs/ (US, UK, AU share the same core stress on the second syllable, with minor vowel quality differences). Visualize as stea-TO-sis, but the strong vowel is in the middle syllable. Try slowing to say 'stet' + 'ay' + 'to' + 'sis' and emphasize the 'ay' vowel. Audio references include medical pronunciation resources and platforms like Pronounce, Forvo, and YouGlish for listening practice.
Common errors include misplacing the primary stress (often saying sti-ET-oh-sis) and mispronouncing the middle vowel as a short /ɪ/ or /ɛ/ instead of the long /eɪ/ in /ˈeɪ/. Another error is merging the middle syllable too quickly, making it sound like stea-to-sis without clear second-syllable emphasis. Correct by clearly producing /stəˈeɪ.tə.sɪs/ and isolating the /ˈeɪ/ vowel, practicing slow, then increasing speed while maintaining the second-syllable emphasis.
Across US/UK/AU, the primary vowel in the second syllable remains /eɪ/ in all three, but rhoticity affects the preceding /ə/; US tends to a rhotic Schwa /əˈeɪ.tə.sɪs/ with slightly stronger rhoticity in connected speech, UK tends to a crisper /əˈeɪ.tə.sɪs/ with non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech, and Australian is similar to UK but can reduce the final /ɪs/ to /ɪs/ with a flatter intonation. Overall, the stress pattern remains 2nd syllable primary stress in all accents.
It blends a difficult light-stress pattern with a long mid-vowel in the second syllable and a final unstressed /sɪs/ cluster that can blur in rapid speech. The /ˈeɪ/ diphthong in the middle is easy to mispronounce as /e/ or /iː/. The konsonant cluster at the end /sɪs/ requires precise tongue tip contact and voiceless sibilant production. Practice articulating the middle diphthong clearly and maintain even voiceless sibilants at the end.
A useful, word-specific angle is to keep the second syllable clearly stressed while keeping the first syllable unstressed but active. The middle /eɪ/ should be the strongest vowel, not the surrounding schwas. Ensure the sequence /stəˈeɪ.təs.ɪs/ aligns with medical contexts; avoid conflating with similar terms like steatitis or steatite by keeping the /eɪ/ clearly sustained.
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Steatosis comes from the Greek steatos, meaning fat, and -osis, a suffix used in medical terminology to denote a condition or process. The root stea- (fat) reflects the primary pathology, fat accumulation within cells, while the -osis suffix indicates a state or condition rather than a disease itself. First used in medical literature to describe fatty changes in tissues, especially the liver, steatosis has evolved from early pathologic descriptions in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when physicians identified fat-laden hepatocytes under histological examination. Over time, the term broadened beyond the liver to describe fatty changes in other organs, such as the pancreas or muscle, and is now a standard descriptor in radiology, pathology, and hepatology. The understanding of hepatic steatosis has grown with advances in imaging (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and noninvasive biomarkers, but the core meaning remains the same: abnormal fat accumulation within cells. The term emphasizes the morphological feature (fat deposition) rather than etiology, which is why it appears in diverse contexts from alcoholic liver disease to metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). First known uses appear in late 19th century medical texts and have persisted in modern comparative anatomy and clinical literature.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Steatosis" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Steatosis" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Steatosis"
-tis sounds
-sis sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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