How to Pronounce Glossophobia
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Glossophobia Pronunciation
glos-oh-FOH-bee-ah
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
glos
oh
FOH
stress here
bee
ah
5 syllables
What is Glossophobia?
An intense fear of public speaking or speaking in front of a group, making it one of the most common phobias. It can cause physical symptoms such as trembling, sweating, and a racing heart when a person is required to speak publicly.
Questions About Glossophobia
How do you pronounce glossophobia?
+
Glossophobia is pronounced glos-oh-FOH-bee-ah. The stress falls on the third syllable, which rhymes with "go." Think of it as: GLOS-oh-FOH-bee-ah, with the FOH part getting the strongest emphasis.
What are the syllables in glossophobia?
+
Glossophobia breaks into four syllables: glos-oh-FOH-bee-ah. The first syllable sounds like "gloss" (like the shiny finish on paper), the second is "oh," the third is "foh," and the fourth is "bee-ah."
Which syllable is stressed in glossophobia?
+
The third syllable—FOH—is the stressed syllable. A common mistake is putting the stress on the first or second syllable, but saying GLOS-oh-foh-BEE-ah is incorrect. Remember: glos-oh-FOH-bee-ah.
What do the word parts in glossophobia mean?
+
Glossophobia comes from two Greek roots: "glosso" means tongue or language, and "phobia" means an intense fear of something. So the word literally means "fear of the tongue" or "fear related to speaking."
What does glossophobia mean in everyday language?
+
Glossophobia is simply an intense fear of public speaking or speaking in front of groups of people. If someone has glossophobia, they're extremely nervous or anxious about having to speak up in class, at meetings, or in front of an audience.
What are some related words that share the 'glosso' root?
+
Other medical words with "glosso" include glossitis (inflammation of the tongue) and glossectomy (surgical removal of the tongue). Both share the Greek root for "tongue" or "language."
How would you use glossophobia in a sentence?
+
Here's an example: "Many people struggle with glossophobia when they have to give a presentation at work." Another example: "Her glossophobia made it difficult for her to participate in class discussions, even though she knew the answers."
What's a common mispronunciation of glossophobia?
+
A common mistake is saying glos-oh-foh-BEE-ah (stressing the last syllable) or GLOSS-oh-foh-bee-ah (stressing the first syllable). The correct pronunciation stresses the third syllable: glos-oh-FOH-bee-ah.

