How to pronounce diphtheria
Say it like dif-THIR-ee-uh. Diphtheria has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THIR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce diphtheria. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- dif
- THIR
- ee
- uh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Diphtheria pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- difKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- THIRSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of diphtheria
American and British speakers say diphtheria in essentially the same way: /dɪfˈθɪriə/ in the US and /dɪfˈθɪəriə/ in the UK.
British respelling: dif-THEER-ree-uh.
What does diphtheria mean?
- A serious infectious disease leading to inflammation of mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
Where does diphtheria come from?
Bretonneau perhaps coined and used the Latin term diphtheritis (with its close imitation of Greek spelling typical of Neolatin) even earlier than the French term diphtérite, which follows the French habit of sometimes spelling t for the Lat
Words that rhyme with diphtheria
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of diphtheria.
Questions about saying diphtheria
How do you pronounce diphtheria?
Say dif-THIR-ee-uh. The American pronunciation is /dɪfˈθɪriə/. In British English it is /dɪfˈθɪəriə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in diphtheria?
Diphtheria has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THIR). Broken into parts: dif · THIR · ee · uh.
Do Americans and Brits say diphtheria the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dɪfˈθɪriə/ and the British form is /dɪfˈθɪəriə/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.