How to pronounce kurtosis
Say it like ker-TOH-sis. Kurtosis has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TOH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce kurtosis. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ker
- TOH
- sis
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Kurtosis pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- kerKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- TOHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- sisKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of kurtosis
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: kuh-TOH-sis.
What does kurtosis mean?
- A measure of "heaviness of the tails" of a probability distribution, defined as the fourth cumulant divided by the square of the variance of the probability distribution.
- Excess kurtosis: the difference between a given distribution's kurtosis and the kurtosis of a normal distribution.
Words that rhyme with kurtosis
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of kurtosis.
- tuberculosis
- apoptosis
- osteoporosis
- necrosis
- thrombosis
- stenosis
- osmosis
- atherosclerosis
- endometriosis
- symbiosis
Questions about saying kurtosis
How do you pronounce kurtosis?
Say ker-TOH-sis. The American pronunciation is /kɚˈtoʊsɪs/. In British English it is /kəˈtəʊsɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in kurtosis?
Kurtosis has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TOH). Broken into parts: ker · TOH · sis.
Is kurtosis pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /kəˈtəʊsɪs/ (kuh-TOH-sis).