How to Pronounce Shigellosis
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Shigellosis Pronunciation
shig-el-OH-sis
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
shig
el
OH
stress here
sis
4 syllables
What is Shigellosis?
A highly contagious bacterial infection of the intestines caused by Shigella bacteria, spread through contact with contaminated feces, food, or water. It causes diarrhea (often bloody), stomach cramps, and fever, and is particularly common in areas with poor sanitation.
Questions About Shigellosis
How do you pronounce shigellosis?
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Shigellosis is pronounced "shig-el-OH-sis." Break it into four syllables: SHIG (rhymes with "big"), el (like the letter "L"), OH (like the letter "O"), and sis (rhymes with "hiss"). The stress falls on the third syllable, so say it a bit louder: shig-el-OH-sis.
What's the most common mistake people make when saying shigellosis?
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The most common mistake is putting the stress on the wrong syllable—people often say "SHIG-el-oh-sis" or "shig-EL-oh-sis" instead of the correct "shig-el-OH-sis." Remember: the OH part gets the emphasis, not the beginning or middle of the word.
How many syllables does shigellosis have?
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Shigellosis has four syllables: shig / el / O / sis. Saying them slowly can help you get comfortable with the full word before putting them together at normal speed.
What does the word shigellosis mean in plain English?
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Shigellosis is a highly contagious intestinal infection caused by bacteria. In everyday language, you might just call it a serious case of bacterial diarrhea, though the medical term specifically refers to infection by Shigella bacteria.
Why does shigellosis have that unusual ending?
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The "-osis" ending is a medical suffix that means "condition" or "disease," and it comes from Greek. When doctors add "-osis" to "Shigella" (the name of the bacteria), they create a word that literally means "the condition of having Shigella bacteria."
Is there a shorter way to say shigellosis?
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There isn't a common abbreviation like "flu" or "COVID." Doctors and health professionals usually say the full word "shigellosis," though they might just say "Shigella infection" in casual conversation to mean the same thing.
What other medical words share the same root as shigellosis?
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Words like "salmonellosis" and "listeriosis" follow the same pattern—they all use the "-osis" ending to describe infections caused by specific bacteria. Once you learn how to say shigellosis, you'll recognize this pattern in other bacterial infection names.
How would you use shigellosis in a sentence?
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Here's an example: "The public health office reported an outbreak of shigellosis in the community." You might also hear: "She was diagnosed with shigellosis after traveling overseas."