English pronunciation · Words Starting with R
Respiratory Pronunciation
Respiratory is pronounced RE-sper-uh-taw-ree, IPA /ˈrɛspɝəˌtɔri/.
RE-sper-uh-taw-ree
US /ˈrɛspɝəˌtɔri/ · UK /rɪˈspɪrətəˌri/
Syllables: RE · sper · uh · taw · ree (5 syllables, stress on syllable 1)
adjective: Relating to breathing and the organs that do it.
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Respiratory in a Sentence
- The clinic treats respiratory illness in children.
- Smoke damaged his respiratory system.
- Respiratory infections rise every winter.
Common Mispronunciations of Respiratory
Not ruh-SPY-ruh-taw-ree
Nothing here rhymes with spire. The root may come from respire, but the adjective shortens that vowel to a plain short e.
Not re-spi-ruh-TAW-ree
Lead with the loudest syllable and let the other four coast: RE-sper-uh-taw-ree. British speakers instead stress the second, ri-SPI-ruh-tri.
Tip: Five syllables in careful American speech, often four in British, where the middle collapses to ri-SPI-ruh-tree.
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