English pronunciation · Words Starting with A
Apoptosis Pronunciation
Apoptosis is pronounced a-pawp-TOH-siz, IPA /ˌæpɔpˈtoʊsɪz/.
a-pawp-TOH-siz
US /ˌæpɔpˈtoʊsɪz/
Syllables: a · pawp · TOH · siz (4 syllables, stress on syllable 3)
noun: Programmed cell death, the orderly way the body disposes of cells it no longer needs.
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Apoptosis in a Sentence
- Apoptosis removes the webbing between a fetus's fingers.
- Cancer cells evade apoptosis and keep dividing.
- The drug triggers apoptosis in the tumour.
Common Mispronunciations of Apoptosis
Not AP-op-toh-sis
TOH is the peak, late in a four-beat word, and the opening two are light. Biology borrowed the stress pattern from the Greek, where it always falls there.
Not a-pop-TOH-shuhs
The sis ending stays a plain hissed syllable, matching diagnosis and necrosis. No sh belongs in it.
Tip: Specialists argue over the second p. Many biologists say a-puh-TOH-sis with it silent, on the model of ptomaine, while dictionaries print it sounded.
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