How to Pronounce “chlamydia”

American (US)

/kləˈmɪdiə/

British (UK)

/kləˈmɪdiə/

noun — Any of several common, often asymptomatic, sexually transmitted diseases caused by the microorganism Chlamydia trachomatis.

Where the stress falls. “chlamydia” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /kləˈmɪdiə/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /kləˈmɪdiə/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "chlamydia" mean?

chlamydia (noun): Any of several common, often asymptomatic, sexually transmitted diseases caused by the microorganism Chlamydia trachomatis.

How do you pronounce "chlamydia" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "chlamydia", /kləˈmɪdiə/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "chlamydia"?

/kləˈmɪdiə/ in American English, /kləˈmɪdiə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "chlamydia"?

“chlamydia” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /kləˈmɪdiə/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.