2 syllables: Tooth, ache. Stress on Tooth.
TOO-thayk
/ˈtuːθeɪk/
Toothache is pronounced TOO-thayk (/ˈtuːθeɪk/). It has two syllables (Tooth-ache), with the stress on "Tooth". Toothache is the pain arising from one or more teeth or the surrounding structures, often caused by decay, infection, or injury. It is a localized dental pain that can be sharp, throbbing, or aching and may be accompanied by swelling or sensitivity. The term refers to the symptom itself, not a diagnosis, and is commonly described in medical and everyday contexts.
nounToothache is the pain arising from one or more teeth or the surrounding structures, often caused by decay, infection, or injury. It is a localized dental pain that can be sharp, throbbing, or aching and may be accompanied by swelling or sensitivity. The term refers to the symptom itself, not a diagnosis, and is commonly described in medical and everyday contexts.
"I woke up with a terrible toothache and called the dentist."
"The toothache persisted after I ate something sweet, so I scheduled an appointment."
"She took an analgesic to ease the toothache until she could see the dentist."
Toothache is pronounced as /ˈtuːθˌeɪk/. The first syllable has primary stress, with a long 'oo' sound as in 'too' followed by the voiceless interdental fricative /θ/ (tongue between teeth). The second syllable begins with the /eɪ/ diphthong as in 'a' in 'day', ending with /k/ as in 'cake'. Practice by isolating the /θ/ between teeth and then smoothly linking to /eɪk/.
Two common errors are: mispronouncing /θ/ as /f/ or /s/ (you’ll say ‘toof-ake’ or ‘toose-ake’); and misplacing the /eɪ/ so it sounds like a pure /e/ rather than a diphthong. To correct: place the tongue gently between the teeth and blow air for /θ/, then glide from /eɪ/ to /k/ without overemphasizing the /k/. Ensure the stress stays on the first syllable: TOOTH-ache.
In US, /ˈtuːθˌeɪk/ with a rhotic-less second syllable and a clear /θ/. In UK, /ˈtuːθˌeɪk/ is similar, but vowel quality can be slightly tighter and the final /k/ may be released with a stronger burst. Australian speakers often have a slightly flatter /ɪ/ in the second vowel and smoother linking; /ɪ/ in 'ache' is usually a clear /eɪ/. Overall, the consonant sequence and primary stress stay consistent across accents.
The difficulty lies in the initial /θ/ sound, a voiceless interdental fricative produced with the tongue between the teeth, which many learners substitute with /s/ or /t/ to avoid tooth contact. The /eɪ/ diphthong requires a smooth glide from /e/ to /ɪ/; keeping the tongue and jaw relaxed helps avoid a clipped or monophthongized sound. Finally, the sequence /ˈtuːθˌeɪk/ is stress-timed, so natural rhythm and pause after the first syllable are essential for intelligibility.
Toothache uniquely combines a dental fricative /θ/ with a trailing diphthong /eɪ/ and a final /k/ cluster, making it a test case for accurate interdental articulation followed by a strong, clipped final stop. The two-syllable stress pattern (primary on the first syllable) also provides a clear model for rhythm in related medical terms like ‘toothpaste’ or ‘toothbrush,’ where the /θ/ and /t/ sequences recur.
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US: rhotic, stable /r/; UK: non-rhotic, vowel length can vary, /θ/ kept clear; AU: vowel quality broad, /ː/ length not as emphasized, more relaxed jaw. Vowel shifts: /uː/ may be slightly shorter in fast speech; /eɪ/ often less tense in AU. IPA references align as /ˈtuːθˌeɪk/ across three. Consonant: /θ/ is dental, not dentalised; practice with a mirror to ensure air passes through teeth.
Toothache combines tooth, from Old English toþ, and ache, from Old English ācian, meaning to suffer or be in pain. The compound appears in Middle English as tooth-ache and later as toothache. The sense arose from the literal pain in a tooth or teeth, with ‘tooth’ serving as the anatomical noun and ‘ache’ as the sensation. The modern medical term for the condition is dental pain, but toothache has remained the common colloquial expression across English dialects. First known usages trace to early English medical texts and household inventories where toothache was described as a frequent, bothersome symptom among all ages, often treated with herbs or simple remedies before the advent of modern dentistry. Over centuries, as dentistry professionalized, toothache retained its status as a symptom rather than a diagnosis, though it also appears in literature as a universal human experience of dental suffering. In contemporary usage, it often specifies both the cause (e.g., cavity, abscess) and the effect (pain), while remaining a staple phrase in lay communication about dental health.
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Words that rhyme with "Toothache"
-che sounds
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