Do you find it hard to pronounce words that end in “itis”? It’s found in many medical words so the right pronunciation is important. First of all, let’s look at what it means. The suffix “itis” comes from Latin and Greek and means inflammation or a disease characterised by inflammation.[i] It is usually attached to a word root that signifies a part of the body and means that this body part is inflamed. Sometimes it is an acute condition like laryngitis and other times a more chronic condition like hepatitis. One of the earliest uses of this suffix in English was arthritis as early as the 1500s and meaning inflammation of the joints.[ii]
Tip 1 – There are two different “i” sounds
One of the reasons some have trouble pronouncing the suffix “itis” is that each “i” has a different sound. English has 12 different vowel sounds and Spanish 5, for example. As a result, for Spanish speakers, the suffix “itis” is often mispronounced because they pronounce each “i” the same and in the way they pronounce this letter in Spanish (like ee or arth-ree-tees).
In English, this suffix is in two parts “i” and “tis”. The first “i” has a long vowel sound which means it sounds like the name of the letter.
Ahy
The second “i” has a short vowel sound (like the “i” in “sit”)
Tis
Tip 2 – The stress is on the first “i”
In addition to the two vowel sounds, the accent or stress in the word occurs in the part of the word that is pronounced with the first “i”. For example, let’s take the word gastritis.
It has three syllables:
Ga-stri-tis Ga-stray-tis (phonetically)
You can see that I wrote the first “i” sound combined with the consonant sound that occurs just before and it is this combined sound that carries the accent.
That’s it!
Common words with “itis” and their pronunciation
Here are a few common medical words with their meaning and pronunciation:
Appendicitis (uh-pen-duh–sahy-tis) – Inflammation of the appendix
Arthritis (ahr-thrahy-tis ) – Inflammation of the joints
Bursitis (ber-sahy-tis) – Inflammation of a bursa
Cholecystitis (koh-luh–si-stahy-tis) – Inflammation of the gallbladder
Conjunctivitis (kuhn-juhngk-tuh–vahy-tis) – Inflammation of the conjunctiva
Dermatitis (dur-muh–tahy-tis) – Inflammation of the skin
Diverticulitis (dahy-ver-tik-yuh–lahy-tis) – Inflammation of one or more diverticula
Encephalitis (en-sef–uh–lahy-tis) – Inflammation of the substance of the brain
Endocarditis (en-doh-kahr-dahy-tis) – Inflammation of the endocardium, the membrane lining the cavities of the heart
Enteritis (en-tuh–rahy-tis) – Inflammation of the intestines, especially the small intestine
Esophagitis (e-sof-uh–jahy-tis) – Inflammation of the esophagus
Gastritis (ga-strahy-tis) – Inflammation of the stomach, especially of its mucous membrane
Gastroenteritis (gas-troh-en-tuh–rahy-tis) – Inflammation of the stomach and intestines
Gingivitis (jin-juh–vahy-tis) – Inflammation of the gums
Hepatitis (hep–uh–tahy-tis) – Inflammation of the liver
Laryngitis (lar-uh n-jahy-tis) – Inflammation of the larynx, the voice box
Myocarditis (mahy-oh-kahr-dahy-tis) – Inflammation of the myocardium, the muscular substance of the heart
Peritonitis (per-i-tn-ahy-tis) – Inflammation of the peritoneum or the membrane lining the abdominal cavity
Pharyngitis (far-in-jahy-tis) – Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx or throat
Plantar Fasciitis (plan-ter fash-ee-ahy-tus) – Inflammation of the fibrous tissue along the bottom of the foot
Rhinitis (rahy–nahy–tis) – Inflammation of the nose or its mucous membrane
Sinusitis (sahy-nuh–sahy-tis) – Inflammation of a sinus or the sinuses
Thyroiditis (thahy-roi-dahy-tis) – Inflammation of the thyroid gland
Tonsillitis (ton-suh–lahy-tis) – Inflammation of a tonsil or the tonsils
Vasculitis (vas-kyuh–lahy-tis) – Inflammation of veins, arteries, capillaries, or lymph vessels
Let’s recap the pronunciation of “itis”
We covered three things to remember about words that end in “itis” and how to pronounce them:
“itis” means inflammation, or a disease characterised by inflammation
the first and the second “i” have a different sound
The stress is on the first “i”
That’s all, that wasn’t too hard, was it? We’ve provided a number of examples to help you practise. Now you can apply it to any “itis” words you come across and you’ll sound like a pro.
Are you looking for help in the pronunciation of medical words in English?
Are you looking for a medical English teacher or classes?
Contact us here for a free no-obligation consultation to talk about your goals and how we can help.
Tell us what medical words you find difficult to pronounce in English in the comments below.
Author’s note:
Dictionary.com is a site I like to use because it has many medical terms and they use phonetic spelling in addition to the phonetic symbols (and audio clips) to show how to pronounce words. I use phonetic spelling, not the phonetic symbols in my posts to make it easier for those not familiar with the international phonetic symbols.
Doing an external clinical rotation in an English-speaking country can be one of the most terrifying and rewarding experiences you’ll do during your medical training and career.
Here are 5 reasons why you should do one!
1. You’ll learn about a different medical system and work culture
As you already know, each clinical rotation is an experience in itself: learning about other medical specialties, diagnosis and treatment approaches, how to use special equipment, interacting with patients, administrative procedures and working with other members of the health care team. Having that experience outside of your regular hospital and, even better, in another country (and in English!) will change you – and for the better.
Talking about medicine in a different way
Doing an external clinical rotation abroad will also take you far outside your English comfort zone. Not only will you learn new vocabulary, slang and medical abbreviations in English, but you’ll also learn words that will be unique to that country, specialty or even hospital.
For example, a physician who has completed all of their training and residency in a specialty area and is working in a hospital (and typically supervises fellows, residents and other health professionals) is called an “attending physician” in the US and Canada and a “consultant” in the UK.
Depending on the country, emergency care can be provided in the Emergency Room (ER), Emergency Department (ED), Urgent Care Department or Accident and Emergency (A&E)
Working differently
The way the medical team interacts can differ too. In some hospitals, all levels of the medical team from the attending physician to medical interns are encouraged to speak and give an opinion. In other hospitals, the attending physician typically talks the most during the rounds.
Multi-disciplinary teams made up of doctors, nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers and more are not uncommon in many hospitals in the US and in Canada. They may be less typical in your country or with less variety of professionals on the team.
Discovering your preferences
You might even realize you prefer some of the ways of working in your country. In the US, medical specialists commonly work tiringly long hours for their famously high salaries. Maybe you’ll discover you prefer a more balanced schedule with time for other things, even with a lower income.
Whatever you notice, you’ll bring these insights back with you and change the way you interact with and see other health professionals, your colleagues and even your patients. You’ll never see some things the same way again – I promise.
2. You’ll increase your opportunities and maybe even start on a new career path
Time abroad changes everyone and in so many ways. Being exposed to things you may not have known existed before can be a game-changer. It’s not uncommon to discover a new specialty or see your own specialty in a new light. Maybe you’ll decide to do another subspecialty, realize you would like to spend a few years more away or perhaps find that salaries or career advancement opportunities are better where you go.
One of our students did a one-year cardiothoracic fellowship at Freeman Hospital in the UK. Afterward, he came home to Spain to create and lead a new specialized cardiac transplant service in his previous hospital.
At a minimum, you’ll have an incredible experience to add to your CV and maybe influential letters of recommendation.Both canhelp you stand out and get the position you really want.
3. You’ll expand your professional network
You have surely heard how important networking and connections are in business. Well, they are equally critical in the medical, health and science fields too. Collaborating with others on research studies, clinical trials, committees and task-forces leads to more opportunities, publications and contacts.
Networking is not just for business executives
Building your reputation
Have you ever wondered how some medical professionals become so well known in their field? You need to be good at what you do, of course. External rotations, observerships and fellowships are incredible for making the types of connections that can take your career to the next level.
Going to congresses and meeting up with colleagues you met while you were away is exhilarating. You never know where it can lead – bit by bit your professional network is growing and now on an international scale.
4. You’ll learn about people (including yourself and patients)
You know how to interact with patients by now and how they typically act when they are sick, worried, nervous, in pain, receive bad news or even good news – it’s universal, isn’t it? Spend some time in another hospital and in another country and you’ll quickly find that people and cultures are much more diverse than you thought. You’ll be more sensitive to subtle differences in people’s behaviour and ways of expressing their symptoms or concerns – honing your observation skills even more.
Observing unexpected cultural differences
You’ll realize how cultures differ considerably in how they perceive their relationship with their doctor. You will see how people interact with each other differently depending on income, gender, race, education and socioeconomic status. The formality or informality of these relationships, how patients ask questions (or not), the types of advice and amount of contact they expect as well as how involved individuals are in their own health can vary – you will be surprised.
You’ll learn to be more open and observe before acting, especially in new situations. You’ll realize that how people react to you can be very insightful. For example, if a patient stops talking or seems unusually surprised, perhaps you are acting in a way they aren’t used to from their medical doctor – it’s probably a sign of a cultural difference. In time you’ll see your approach and abilities change – making you a better practitioner abroad and back home.
5. You’ll practise your English in real-life situations
When learning a language, nothing beats the reward of being about to use it for real. Sure it is scary and if you are anything like me, it takes time to relax enough to try using the language – including in both professional and social contexts. But what better way to do it and get past those nerves than putting yourself out there when you don’t have a choice. At some point, you’ll have to ask someone how to take the bus, how to fix a leaky tap, where to find the hospital’s human resources department or answer a question during rounds. All that work on pronunciation, grammar, and listening skills will now pay off.
Do things you enjoy to meet new people
Reinventing yourself
You’ll likely realize it is harder than you thought it would be, but you’ll improve really fast, especially if you take advantage of every opportunity. It is not easy, but my best advice is to find chances to do what you enjoy. It is often easier to be brave and try new things when nobody knows you – I dare you!
Two Bonus tips: How to improve your English abroad without really trying
Bonus tip #1: Go to medical lectures, grand rounds, meetings, and case study presentations
Even if you don’t talk, you’ll be working on your listening skills with different accents. You’ll learn new medical vocabulary and will sharpen your pronunciation and spelling by repetitively seeing these new words and how they sound (it’ll be like passive learning). You’ll meet people in your field and practise your small talk skills. Look at the bulletin boards near your department to see what things are coming up and then ask if others are going and join them. Don’t be shy.
Bonus tip #2: Say “YES” to cultural and social activities – especially with English-speakers
Socializing can be stressful, and even more so in a different language and culture. You are likely to be more outgoing while you are away than when you are at home. You are excited because of the adventure – take advantage of that energy (even nervous energy). Whenever possible, hang out with other English-speakers. What an amazing opportunity to make new friends and practise! It will get easier. Just find something you want to try and go for it. You’ll get braver and braver, your listening skills and speaking will soar, and you’ll have so much fun.
Let’s recap the 5 reasons to do an external clinical rotation abroad (and in English!)
You should do it because you’ll…
learn about a different medical system and work culture,
increase your opportunities and maybe start on a new career path,
expand your professional network,
learn about people (including yourself and patients), and
practise your English in real-life situations.
Are you preparing to spend time abroad for work, a rotation, study or a fellowship in the next 6 months to a year?
Are you looking for a medical English teacher with classes online or in person?
Get more out of the experience and increase your confidence before you go. Contact us here for a free no-obligation consultation to talk about your goals and how we can help.
Ask us about our work abroad intensives.
Already been abroad? Tell us what you learned from that experience in the comments below.
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