Triage is a noun referring to the process of prioritizing patient care based on the severity of condition or urgency, typically used in medical settings. It can also describe the system or procedure for sorting or classifying tasks by priority. The term is used in both clinical triage and disaster response contexts, emphasizing efficient allocation of limited resources.
- Common errors: • Misplacing stress (say tri-AGE or tri-ayzh instead of TRI-əzh). Practice by saying TRI (emphasize high front vowel) + azh quickly. • Replacing /ʒ/ with /ʃ/ or /dʒ/ (ship or jeep sound). Fix: place tongue blade near the palate and voice the fricative; feel buzzing behind your upper teeth. • Inadequate vowel contrast between /iː/ and /ɑː/ (merge first and second vowel). Drill with extended first vowel and crisp second vowel, then blend. • Fast speech leading to truncation (pronouncing TRI-zh as one syllable). Slow it to two distinct parts: TRI- + azh, then speed up gradually.
- US: Typically strong /ˈtriː.ɑːʒ/. Focus on keeping a clear /iː/ before the open /ɒ/ or /ɑː/. - UK: Slightly shorter first vowel, crisper /iː/ and neutral /ɑː/ before /ʒ/. - AU: vowels can be more centralized; emphasize a rounded second vowel and maintain /ʒ/ clarity. In all, ensure non-rhoticity isn’t assumed; the final /ʒ/ is voiced and should buzz softly. IPA: /ˈtriː.ɑːʒ/ across accents; minor allophones: [ˈtɹiː.ɑːʒ], [ˈtrɪə.ɒːʒ], etc.
"During the emergency, nurses performed a rapid triage to identify the most critical patients."
"The IT team used a triage system to prioritize bug fixes by severity."
"In disaster response, triage helps responders decide who to treat first."
"The clinic assigns a triage nurse to assess incoming patients before they see a doctor."
Triage comes from the French trier, meaning to sort or select, which itself derives from the Latin triare, to separate. The term appeared in 19th-century military medicine, first documented usage in the context of battlefield medical sorting in the 1830s. Its modern usage expanded in the 20th century to civilian emergency medicine and disaster response. The word carried the sense of urgent prioritization, where medical staff quickly assess injuries and decide treatment order. Over time, triage also extended into non-medical settings, including IT and project management, retaining the core idea of rapid prioritization under constraints. The evolution reflects a universal need to make the best possible decisions with limited resources, whether in a chaotic battlefield or a crowded urgent care ward. In contemporary usage, the term generally implies a standardized protocol or framework for determining urgency, with predefined criteria and scoring systems that guide actions and resource allocation.
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Help others use "Triage" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Triage" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Triage" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Triage"
-age sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Pronounce it as TRI-uhj with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /ˈtriː.ɑːʒ/ (sounds like “tree-awzh”). The first syllable uses a long E sound followed by a relaxed /r/; the second syllable features a voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ similar to the “si” in vision. Keep the lips rounded slightly for the /ɑː/ vowel and finish with a soft, almost disappearing /ʒ/. Audio reference: you can compare to Forvo or the pronunciation guide in Pronounce for verification.
Common errors: (1) misplacing stress like saying tri-AGE or tri-AYJ instead of TRI-əzh; (2) substituting /ʒ/ with /ʃ/ (sh) or /ʤ/ (j) instead of the voiced postalveolar fricative; (3) shortening or flattening the second syllable to /ɑː/ without the final /ʒ/. Correction: stress first syllable with /ˈtriː/ and finish with /ɑːʒ/, keeping the /ʒ/ sound distinct and voicing it softly. Practice saying “tree” + “ahzh” slowly, then blend.”,
US/UK/AU share the /ˈtriː.ɑːʒ/ pattern, but vowel length and quality vary. US tends to a longer /iː/ in the first syllable and a slightly rounded /ɑː/ in the second before /ʒ/. UK can feature a crisper /iː/ and a subtly palatalized /ɑː/. Australian often exhibits a broader vowel in the second syllable, with a more centralized /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ depending on region. Overall rhoticity remains non-rhotic in many varieties but not uniformly, and /ʒ/ remains consistent. IPA references: US/UK/AU /ˈtriː.ɑːʒ/ with minor allophonic differences.
Two main challenges: (1) the sequence /iː.ɑː/ requires moving from a high front vowel to a low back vowel while keeping a smooth transition; (2) the final /ʒ/ is a voiced, voiceless distinction point that many learners default to /ʃ/ or /dʒ/. Practice by isolating the two vowels and practicing a short glide between them; keep the tongue blade close to the palate for /ʒ/. This combination can be tricky in rapid speech.
Triage has primary stress on the first syllable with a pronounced /iː/ before a smooth /ɑː/ into the /ʒ/. There are no silent letters, but the /æ/ sound never appears; the middle is not a separate syllable but part of the diphthongal flow. Visual cue: think “TREE” with a quick, soft “ahzh” ending. The key is keeping the final /ʒ/ distinct and voiced at a comfortable, not overly forceful, speed.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Triage"!
- Shadowing: listen to a clear native pronunciation and repeat in real-time with a 1-second lag. - Minimal pairs: triage vs truth? (no). Better: triage vs try-age (use /ˈtriː.ɑːʒ/ vs /ˈtraɪˌedʒ/ not real; use words with similar endings like 'parage' is not ideal). Instead, pair with words ending in -age with /ʒ/ (riage as in garage, college? garage /ˈɡærɑːʒ/). Use pairs: triage - garage, or triage - barrage to practice /ʒ/. - Rhythm: practice two-beat rhythm: TRI-age with a slight beat after TRI. - Stress: keep primary stress on first syllable. - Recording: record and compare your /ˈtriː.ɑːʒ/ to native samples; adjust any diphthong tilt. - Context: practice two sentences: “The nurse performed triage first.” “During triage, responders sort patients by urgency.”
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