How to pronounce mitosis

Q: How do you pronounce mitosis?

Say my-TOH-sis. The American pronunciation is /maɪˈtoʊsɪs/. In British English it is /maɪˈtəʊsɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.

Say it like my-TOH-sis. Mitosis has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TOH).

VoiceSpeed

Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mitosis. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.

US American/maɪˈtoʊsɪs/my-TOH-sis

UK British/maɪˈtəʊsɪs/my-TOH-sis

Main stress
Lighter stress
Unstressed

Mitosis pronunciation, sound by sound

Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.

myKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in time.
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 mitosis

The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".

British respelling: my-TOH-sis.

What does mitosis mean?

noun

The division of a cell nucleus in which the genome is copied and separated into two identical halves. It is normally followed by cell division.

Words that rhyme with mitosis

Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of mitosis.

Questions about saying mitosis

How do you pronounce mitosis?

Say my-TOH-sis. The American pronunciation is /maɪˈtoʊsɪs/. In British English it is /maɪˈtəʊsɪs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.

How many syllables are in mitosis?

Mitosis has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TOH). Broken into parts: my · TOH · sis.

Is mitosis pronounced differently in British English?

Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /maɪˈtəʊsɪs/ (my-TOH-sis).