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Pedants' corner

How do you pronounce 'oesophagitis'?

16 replies

JellySlice · 16/07/2018 17:52

Oesophagus has a hard g, but gi is a soft g (eg meningitis).

So is it oesophaJYtis or oesophaGUYtis?

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BlackStoneCherie · 16/07/2018 17:53

It's .....JYtis .

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Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 16/07/2018 17:53

I'd always say oesophaGUS, I've never heard it pronounced any other way

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shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 16/07/2018 17:55

It's OesophaJYtis

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Worieddd · 16/07/2018 17:55

JY

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annandale · 16/07/2018 17:56

Ess off a JY tiss.

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starlight2017 · 16/07/2018 17:56

Jy

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JellySlice · 16/07/2018 17:56

Coffee, inflammation of the oesophaGUS is called oesopha?itis, and it's the ? that is puzzling me Smile

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ShatnersBassoon · 16/07/2018 17:57

The suffix is -itis, not -gitis, so the 'g' belongs to oesophag-. I'd make it hard.

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JellySlice · 16/07/2018 17:57

Thanks, all Grin

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ErrolTheDragon · 16/07/2018 19:08

The suffix is -itis, not -gitis, so the 'g' belongs to oesophag-. I'd make it hard.

I agree. In meningitis, the soft g comes from meninges.

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ohdeardeardear · 16/07/2018 19:10

As a nurse I would say Uss-off-ah-jytis

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CoolAsACourgette · 16/07/2018 19:12

Dr here. Only ever heard oesophagitis pronounced with a soft g

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ErrolTheDragon · 16/07/2018 19:18

I just found a couple of online pronunciation sites. One of each but I'd swear the hard g one had added an extra syllable and made it -gititis.

Pronunciation isn't always logical so obviously defer to the medics!Grin

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cariadlet · 26/07/2018 22:56

The letter "g" makes its soft "j" sound when followed by "e", "i" or "y" as in the words general, giraffe and gyroscope.


The letter "c" also makes its soft sound when followed by"e", "i" or "y" as in the words centre, circle and cylinder.

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cariadlet · 26/07/2018 22:58

So that would mean the world is pronounced oesopha-J-itis

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Cooroo · 28/07/2018 23:47

-gus and -jitis. It's the letter after that influences the pronunciation.

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