4 syllables: Sur, ro, ga, cy. Stress on Sur.
SUR-uh-guh-see
/ˈsɝəɡəsi/
Surrogacy is pronounced SUR-uh-guh-see (/ˈsɝəɡəsi/). It has four syllables (Sur-ro-ga-cy), with the stress on "Sur". Surrogacy is a reproductive arrangement in which a woman carries and often gives birth to a child for another individual or couple. The pregnancy is used to fulfill someone else’s desire to become a parent, typically with arrangements detailing custody, parental rights, and compensation. The term covers gestational and traditional forms, with emphasis on legal and ethical considerations.
nounSurrogacy is a reproductive arrangement in which a woman carries and often gives birth to a child for another individual or couple. The pregnancy is used to fulfill someone else’s desire to become a parent, typically with arrangements detailing custody, parental rights, and compensation. The term covers gestational and traditional forms, with emphasis on legal and ethical considerations.
"The couple pursued surrogacy after years of trying to conceive naturally."
"A legal agreement outlined each party’s responsibilities in the surrogacy arrangement."
"She became a surrogate mother to help a friend, guided by strict medical and legal standards."
Pronounce as sə-ROO-gə-see with primary stress on the second syllable: /səˈrʌɡəsi/ in UK/AU and /səˈɹʌɡəsi/ in US spelling. Start with a schwa, then the stressed rhotic vowel, followed by a soft 'g' as in 'nice,' and end with 'see.' The 'sur-' starts with a light s and a weak vowel; the 'rog' contains the r-controlled vowel, and the final '-acy' sounds like 'uh-see.' Practice by isolating each segment: S-(ə)-ROG-(ə)-see. Audio reference: listen for the stressed second syllable to land the rhythm accurately.
Common errors include misplacing the stress on the first syllable (sur-ROG-acy is incorrect). Another error is mispronouncing the middle vowel as a flat 'o' or 'aw' instead of the rhotacized /ʌ/ or /ɜː/ as in 'rug' or 'run' depending on accent. Some speakers mispronounce the final 'cy' as 'see' with a hard c; correct it as /siː/ after a soft 'g' cluster. Focus on cycling through S-uh-ROG-uh-see with the second syllable carrying the primary stress.
In US English, the stress is on the second syllable: /səˈɹʌɡəsi/ with rhotic R and a clearer /ɹ/. UK/AU often retain /səˈrʌɡəsi/ with a similar stress pattern but non-rhotic tendencies cause a lighter /r/; the second vowel can be closer to /ɜː/ or /ʌ/ depending on speaker. The main differences are rhoticity and vowel quality in the first syllable, and the final 'cy' sounding like /si/. Overall rhythm remains trochaic (stressed-unstressed) across mainstream varieties.
The challenge centers on the /ˈrʌɡ/ cluster after the initial schwa and the sequence '-rog-' with a soft g before the -ə- and final -si. The middle vowel can be unstable between /ʌ/, /ɜː/, or /ə/ in different accents, making the second syllable tense to land. The combination of 'sur-' and 'rog' requires precise tongue positioning to avoid a mispronunciation like /səˈroʊɡəsi/ or /səˈruːɡəsi/. Focusing on the rhotic consonant and avoiding a shaping to a hard 'g' helps.
There are no silent letters in surrogacy, and the primary stress consistently falls on the second syllable: /səˈrʌɡəsi/. The 'u' after 's' is schwa in many dialects, and the 'cy' letters combine to form a /siː/ sound, not silent. The 'g' is a soft, almost /ɡ/ as in 'go,' and the 'r' is rhotacized in rhotic dialects. The key is sustaining the second syllable's vowel quality and ensuring the 'g' remains a soft /ɡ/ before the final /siː/.
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Surrogacy derives from the Latin surrogare, meaning to substitute or substitute a person. The root sur- means ‘over, above’ or ‘in place of,’ and rogare means ‘to ask, to propose.’ The term entered English in the late 19th to early 20th century, initially used in legal and medical contexts to describe substitute guardianships or arrangements. By mid-20th century, surrogacy as a reproductive concept emerged more clearly, with the modern sense crystallizing in the 1980s and 1990s as assisted reproduction technologies advanced. The word gained broader public usage as cross-border surrogacy and paid arrangements entered dialogue about family-building, ethics, and law. Today, surrogacy is discussed across medical, legal, and social spheres, often accompanied by nuanced distinctions between gestational surrogacy (egg from the intended mother or donor) and traditional surrogacy (surrogate uses her own egg).
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Words that rhyme with "Surrogacy"
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