3 syllables: Vi, bris, sae. Stress on Vi.
VEYE-bris-ee
/ˈvaɪ.bɹɪ.siː/
Vibrissae is pronounced VEYE-bris-ee (/ˈvaɪ.bɹɪ.siː/). It has three syllables (Vi-bris-sae), with the stress on "Vi". Vibrissae are tactile whisker-like hairs on mammals that function as sensitive tactile organs, helping detect air currents and textures. In anatomy, the term also refers to the long, stiff hairs on the snout of many animals. The plural form is vibrissae, used primarily in formal or scientific contexts.
nounVibrissae are tactile whisker-like hairs on mammals that function as sensitive tactile organs, helping detect air currents and textures. In anatomy, the term also refers to the long, stiff hairs on the snout of many animals. The plural form is vibrissae, used primarily in formal or scientific contexts.
"The cat’s vibrissae twitch when it senses a nearby movement."
"Researchers studied the vibrissae of rodents to understand sensory processing."
"The museum exhibit noted how vibrissae help animals navigate dark environments."
Pronounce as vi-BRISS-ay. The primary stress is on the second syllable. IPA: US /vɪˈbrɪˌseɪ/, UK /vɪˈbrɪˌsiː/, AU /vɪˈbrɪˌsɪː/. Begin with /v/ bilabial fricative, follow with /ɪ/ (short i), then /ˈbrɪ/ as a stressed cluster, a light /ˌseɪ/ or /ˌsiː/ depending on variety. Visualize “vi” as in very, “briss” like “briss” with a soft s, and end with a long vowel in US/UK spelling. An audible clue is the final vowel length difference between US /eɪ/ and UK/AU /iː/.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (stressing the first syllable vi-), pronouncing the final as a short /e/ instead of /eɪ/ or /iː/, and omitting the /r/ or making it too weak. To correct: keep the main stress on the second syllable and clearly release the final vowel as /eɪ/ (US) or /iː/ (UK/AU). Practice with slow, deliberate syllable segments: vi- BRIS- say. Ensure your jaw stays relaxed after /br/ and avoid a heavy, clipped ending.
US tends to use /vɪˈbrɪˌseɪ/ with a clearer /eɪ/ at the end and a somewhat slower rhythm. UK often enunciates /vɪˈbrɪˌsiː/, with a longer final /iː/ and less rhotic influence on the word itself. Australian tends toward /vɪˈbrɪˌsɪː/ or /vɪˈbrɪˌsiː/, with a slightly higher vowel height and a clipped final /ɪː/. Across all, the second syllable bears primary stress; expect subtle vowel length differences and rhoticity prominence depends on speaker’s overall accent.
It combines a multisyllabic structure with a mid-stressed cluster and a final long vowel that varies by accent. The /br/ cluster requires precise timing and a stable alveolar /ɹ/ or /r/ articulation, while the ending vowels (/eɪ/ vs /iː/ vs /ɪː/) demand careful mouth shape to avoid slurring. Additionally, the plural form vibrissae has a non-obvious-tongue-position shift from the singular and listeners expect a certain rhythm. Focus on the stressed second syllable and crisp final vowel.
A notable feature is the variable final vowel depending on accent: /eɪ/ in US, /iː/ in UK, and /ɪː/ in some AU pronunciations. This makes vibrissae a useful word for practicing vowel length distinction and stress timing in connected speech. Also, the /r/ is relatively light in non-rhotic varieties; in rhotic accents you might hear a subtle post-phonemic link from /ɹ/ into the final vowel.
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Vibrissae derives from the Latin vibrissae, plural of vibrissis ‘a hair; whisker,’ from vibrare ‘to shake, vibrate.’ The term entered English via scientific and anatomical discourse in the 17th–18th centuries as zoological and neurosensory terminology expanded. The root vib- relates to vibration, reflecting the hairs’ role in detecting air movement; -issae is a Latin plural suffix pattern common in anatomical terms. In modern scientific English, vibrissae is used predominantly in plural, with vibrissa as the singular. Historically, early explorers and comparative anatomists described vibrissae to differentiate tactile hairs from ordinary fur, influencing later neurophysiological work on somatosensory input. Over time, vibrissae has become a standard term across mammalogy, neurology, and veterinary medicine, often appearing in discussions of rodent whisker systems, seal vibrissae, and marsupial facial hair. First known uses appear in late 18th to early 19th century anatomical texts, aligning with broader efforts to catalog sensory organs and mechanoreceptors in mammals.
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Words that rhyme with "Vibrissae"
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