How to Pronounce “encephalitis”

American (US)

/ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/

British (UK)

/ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/

noun — Inflammation of the brain.

Where the stress falls. “encephalitis” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the fourth one — so the fourth syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/ 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 "encephalitis" mean?

encephalitis (noun): Inflammation of the brain.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "encephalitis", /ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/, 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 "encephalitis"?

/ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/ in American English, /ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "encephalitis"?

“encephalitis” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɪs/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the fourth one — so the fourth syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.