How to Pronounce Night Terrors
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Night Terrors Pronunciation
NYT TAIR-erz
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
NYT TAIR
stress here
erz
2 syllables
What is Night Terrors?
Episodes of intense fear, screaming, and thrashing during slow-wave (non-REM) sleep, most common in children. Unlike nightmares, the person is difficult to wake and has no memory of the episode in the morning. They are more related to stress and sleep deprivation than to psychological disorders.
Questions About Night Terrors
How do you pronounce 'night terrors'?
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Say it as NYT TAIR-erz, with two words. The first word rhymes with 'kite' and 'bite.' The second word sounds like 'AIR' with a 'z' sound at the end, and you stress the first syllable: TAIR-erz.
Which syllable do you stress when saying 'night terrors'?
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In the two-word phrase, you stress NIGHT (the first word) and TAIR (the first syllable of the second word). A common mistake is stressing the second syllable of terrors—saying it as 'ter-AIRS' instead of 'TAIR-erz.'
How do you break 'night terrors' into syllables?
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Night is one syllable: night. Terrors breaks into three syllables: TER-er-z, or more clearly: TAIR-urs. So together it's: night / TAIR-urs.
What does 'terrors' mean in everyday language?
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'Terrors' simply means intense feelings of fear or fright. When you hear the word 'terror' on its own, think of extreme fear or something that frightens you very badly.
What's the relationship between 'night terrors' and 'nightmares'—are they the same thing?
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No, they are two different words for two different experiences. 'Night-mare' (NITE-mair) is a bad dream you remember. 'Night terrors' (NYT TAIR-erz) refers to a different kind of sleep event. Both words start with 'night' because they happen during sleep, but they are pronounced and understood separately.
What does the word 'terror' come from?
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The word 'terror' comes from Latin 'terrere,' which means 'to frighten' or 'to make tremble.' You can see this root in related words like 'terrify' (to make terrified) and 'terrible' (causing terror or fear).
How would you use 'night terrors' correctly in a sentence?
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You might say: 'The child experienced night terrors during the stressful week' or 'Doctors use the term night terrors to describe these sleep episodes.' The phrase is a medical term, so you'd use it when talking about or describing this specific type of sleep event.
Is there a shorter or abbreviated way to say 'night terrors'?
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There isn't a common medical abbreviation for 'night terrors.' Medical professionals usually just say the full phrase 'night terrors.' You might also hear it called 'sleep terrors,' which means the same thing and is pronounced: SLEEP TAIR-erz.