3 syllables: Vol, vu, lus. Stress on Vol.
VAHL-vyoo-luhs
/ˈvɑlvjuːləs/
Volvulus is pronounced VAHL-vyoo-luhs (/ˈvɑlvjuːləs/). It has three syllables (Vol-vu-lus), with the stress on "Vol". Volvulus is a medical condition in which a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery, potentially causing obstruction and interrupted blood flow. It is a serious, emergency situation requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. The term is used in clinical contexts and may appear in medical literature and case reports.
nounVolvulus is a medical condition in which a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery, potentially causing obstruction and interrupted blood flow. It is a serious, emergency situation requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. The term is used in clinical contexts and may appear in medical literature and case reports.
- Misplacing primary stress on the first syllable: practice saying vol-VYU-lus and tap a quick beat to feel the center. - Slurring /vju/ into separate /v/ and /ju/ sounds; practice /vju/ as a single glide from the start of the second syllable. - Final /əs/ pronounced as an explicit /s/ or /əs/ with heavy voicing; aim for a soft, neutral schwa-like ending /əs/ or /ləs/ after the /l/.
"The patient presented with signs of bowel obstruction due to volvulus."
"CT imaging confirmed a sigmoid volvulus. "
"Surgical detorsion is often necessary to relieve the twist."
Volvulus is pronounced vohl-VYOO-luhs (US/UK: /ˈvɒl.vju.ləs/). The emphasis lands on the second syllable: vol-VYU-lus. Break it into three phonemes: VOL (as in vol-unteer) + VYU (like view with a Y glide) + LUS (like lus in lotus but with a soft s). For clarity: /ˈvɒl.vju.ləs/. If you’re using IPA, say /ˈvɒl.vju.ləs/; the middle vowel is a near-diphthong /vju/ formed by /v/ + /j/ plus a high-front vowel /u/; the final syllable is a lax /ləs/.
Common errors: misplacing the stress, saying 'VOL-vuh-luss' with the first syllable prominent; mispronouncing the middle as /vəl-ˈvju-ləs/ or reducing /ju/; and ending with a hard 's' instead of a soft, almost schwa-like /əs/. Correction tips: place primary stress on the second syllable: vol-VYU-lus; practice the /vju/ cluster as a quick /vju/ glide rather than separate /v/ + /ju/; finally, soften the final 's' to /əs/ to land the ending smoothly.
- US/UK: primary stress on the second syllable; /ˈvɒl.vju.ləs/ with rhotic influence minimal in UK; the /ɒ/ in first syllable is British-style as in 'bath' and may differ regionally. - Australian: similar to UK, but you may hear a slightly brighter /ɜ/ or a shortened /ə/ in rapid speech. The key is maintaining the /vju/ cluster and the final /ləs/ without turning into /ləsɪ/. Overall, the middle /vju/ glide remains consistent; rhoticity plays less of a role in US vs UK here, but vowel quality and duration can shift slightly.
It combines a rare medical term with a tricky consonant cluster and a /vju/ glide. The sequence /ˈvɒl.vju/ challenges learners who expect simpler CV structures; the second syllable contains a consonant cluster /lv/ preceding the /ju/ glide, which can lead to misplacing the /j/ and lengthening the vowel. Also, the final /əs/ can be devoiced in rapid speech. Practice helps you stabilize the /ɒ/ vowel and the /vju/ sequence.
A good tactic is to anchor the sequence to a clear /v/ + /j/ glide starting point: say /v/ with a quick /j/ onset moving into /u/ (or /ju/) to form /vju/. Then finish with a relaxed /ləs/. Visualize the middle as “vol-View-lus,” but keep the /v/ crisp and the /l/ clear without letting the tongue collapse into a single unit. This helps prevent the common slip from /ˈvɒl.vju.ləs/ to /ˈvɒl.vɒ.ləs/.
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- US: More rhotic influence in connected speech; try keeping /r/ absent here; focus on a clean /ɒ/ in first syllable and crisp /ju/ glide. - UK: Non-rhotic you’ll hear the /ɒ/ in /ˈvɒl/; maintain clear /vju/; avoid adding extra vowel length. - AU: Similar to UK with slightly brighter vowel quality; maintain /ɒ/ and the glide; practice with Australian intonation: rising at end in questions.
Volvulus derives from the Latin volvulus, from volvere meaning 'to roll, to turn' (root volv- 'to roll' + -ulus as a diminutive or noun-forming suffix). The term entered medical Latin to describe a condition where a loop of intestine twists upon itself. Early usage appears in 19th-century surgical texts as abdominal torsion diseases were being characterized; the word crystallized to denote torsion of a bowel segment with potential vascular compromise. In English medical literature, volvulus is used across specialties including general surgery and radiology, with first known English attestations appearing in the late 1800s, primarily in case reports describing intestinal torsion phenomena. Over time, the term has retained its precise sense of abnormal twisting causing obstruction, and remains a standard anatomical-pathophysiological descriptor in modern medicine.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Volvulus" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Volvulus" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Volvulus"
-lus sounds
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