3 syllables: tu, ber, cles. Stress on tu.
TYOO-buhr-kuhlz
/ˈtjuːbərkəlz/
tubercles is pronounced TYOO-buhr-kuhlz (/ˈtjuːbərkəlz/). It has three syllables (tu-ber-cles), with the stress on "tu". Tubercles are small, rounded protrusions or knobs, often found on bones or tissues as little bumps. In biology and anatomy, the term describes tiny nodules or projections that can serve as sites for attachment or articulation. The plural form tubercles indicates more than one such nodule, typically visible on surfaces or within microscopic structures.
Tubercles are small, rounded protrusions or knobs, often found on bones or tissues as little bumps. In biology and anatomy, the term describes tiny nodules or projections that can serve as sites for attachment or articulation. The plural form tubercles indicates more than one such nodule, typically visible on surfaces or within microscopic structures.
- Misplacing stress and numbing the first syllable, leading to /ˈtjuː.ber.kəlz/ instead of /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/. Stress the first syllable; keep the second light and reduce the vowel to schwa. - Over-enunciating the middle syllable: say /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/ instead of /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/ with an extra vowel. - Final consonant mispronunciation: ensure /z/ is voiced, not devoiced to /s/; keep your vocal cords engaged for the final /z/.
"The scientist marked several tubercles on the specimen’s skull for measurement."
"Dermal tubercles can appear as raised bumps along the patient’s skin."
"In ornithology, tubercles on the beak or palate help with feeding or sensation."
Pronounce as /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/ (US) or /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/ (UK/AU). Stress on the first syllable: TYOO-beh-kulls. Start with a light “tyoo” to an open /uː/ vowel, then a schwa-ish /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with /kəlz/—be crisp on the /k/ and quickly release into /əlz/. You’ll hear a slight vowel reduction in rapid speech: /ˈtuː.bə.kəlz/ for some speakers. Audio references: consult Pronounce or Forvo for native speaker realizations.
Two common errors are misplacing the stress or elongating the second syllable: say TYOO-beh-kulls, not tyoo-BER-kulls. Another mistake is pronouncing the middle syllable as a full /eɪ/ or /iː/ instead of a neutral /ə/; keep it as a quick, relaxed schwa in /bə/. Finally, avoid turning the final /-z/ into a /s/ or voicing error; keep the final z voiced. Practice with minimal pairs to lock in /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/.
In US English, expect /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/ with a rhotic /ɚ/ in the second syllable and clear /z/ at the end. UK/AU often preserve rhoticity less prominently; you’ll hear /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/ with reduced rhoticity and possibly a shorter, less rounded /uː/. Australian English may feature slightly broader vowel qualities on /juː/ and a clipped second syllable. Overall, the rhythm remains strong on the first syllable; the final /z/ is voiced in all. IPA references: US /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/, UK /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/, AU /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure with a central schwa and a final cluster /kəlz/. Coordinating the high front-rounded initial /tjuː/ with the quick /bə/ and a crisp /kəlz/ can trip speakers, especially with non-native English backgrounds or rapid speech. The /juː/ followed by /b/, and then the schwa reduction, requires precise tongue height and lip rounding. Practicing slow, then increasing speed helps stabilize transitions and the final voiced /z/.
A unique aspect is the sequence /tjuː/ at the start, which can be mispronounced as /tuː/ or /tju/ without the initial light 'y' sound characteristic of English after t. Ensure you glide from /t/ to /j/ into /uː/. This helps prevent a hard, abrupt /t/ followed by /juː/ and keeps the common English pronunciation pattern intact. IPA: /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/.
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- US: rhotic /ɚ/ in /bəɹ/; keep the r-colored quality gentle. /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/ with clear /l/ and final /z/. - UK: less rhoticity; avoid over-rolling; maintain crisp final /z/; /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/. - AU: vowel quality often broader; keep /uː/ backed and rounded; final /z/ remains voiced; /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/. Reference IPA forms are consistent across variants: /ˈtjuː.bə.kəlz/; note subtle rhotic or vowel shifts by region.
Tubercles comes from the Latin tuberculum, meaning a little bump or protuberance, diminutive of tuber, ‘a swelling, lump, or bump.’ The suffix -cle marks a diminutive or small form, thus tuberculum literally means a small bump, which English borrowed as tubercle in the 16th century. The plural tubercles formed via standard English pluralization. In anatomical usage, tubercle refers to small eminences on bones or tissues serving attachment points or landmarks. Over time, the term broadened beyond anatomy to describe small rounded nodules in other contexts, retaining its core sense of a small rounded projection. First known use in English traces to early modern anatomy texts, aligning with Latin scientific vocabulary adopted during Renaissance medical study. The word’s stability across centuries reflects a precise, technical meaning that remains common in biology, medicine, and anatomy, as well as in descriptive botany or zoology where small surface projections are significant to function or identification.
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Words that rhyme with "tubercles"
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