How to Pronounce “tinnitus”

American (US)

/ˈtɪnɪtəs/

British (UK)

/ˈtɪnɪtəs/

Australian (AU)

/ˈtɪnətəs/

noun — The experience of auditory sensations, such as a ringing or pulsating sound, occurring in the absence of any external stimulus.

Where the stress falls. “tinnitus” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈtɪnɪtəs/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈtɪnɪtəs/ 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 "tinnitus" mean?

tinnitus (noun): The experience of auditory sensations, such as a ringing or pulsating sound, occurring in the absence of any external stimulus.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "tinnitus", /ˈtɪnɪtəs/, 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 "tinnitus"?

/ˈtɪnɪtəs/ in American English, /ˈtɪnɪtəs/ in British English, /ˈtɪnətəs/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "tinnitus"?

“tinnitus” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /ˈtɪnɪtəs/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.