How to pronounce “chemotherapy”
Chemotherapy is pronounced /ˌkiːmoʊˈθerəpiː/. It has 5 syllables, and the beat falls on the third one — θe. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 5 beats. The highlighted syllable is the strong one: say it louder, longer and a touch higher in pitch, and let the others fall away. English is a stress-timed language, so getting θe in the right place matters more to a listener than getting every vowel perfect.
Stress pattern ōoOoo — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “chemotherapy”
✗ Often said: /ˈtʃemɑːθəræpiː/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˌkiːmoʊˈθerəpiː/
Why the two come apart: the stress lands on the third syllable (“θe”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes; also, at least one vowel does not say what its spelling suggests — English vowel letters are not reliable here; also, a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “chemotherapy” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“chemotherapy” sound by sound
“chemotherapy” is built out of 10 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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kRaise the back of the tongue to touch the soft palate, seal the air, then release it with a puff.
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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
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mClose the lips, lower the soft palate and let the voiced air come out through the nose.
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oʊStart with mid-back, lightly rounded lips and glide toward /ʊ/, tightening the rounding as you finish.
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θLet the tongue tip touch (or just peek between) the upper front teeth and blow air over it with no voicing.
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eHold the tongue mid-high and forward with the jaw slightly open and lips relaxed and unrounded.
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rCurl the tongue tip back (or bunch the tongue body up) without touching anything, round the lips slightly, and voice — the tongue must never tap the roof of the mouth.
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əDo almost nothing: leave the tongue in its neutral resting position, mouth slightly open, and make the shortest, weakest possible vowel.
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pPress both lips together, build up air behind them, then release with a puff of air (aspiration) when the sound starts a stressed syllable.
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iːSpread the lips into a smile, push the front of the tongue high and forward, and hold the sound tense and long.
Words that rhyme with “chemotherapy”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Questions people ask about “chemotherapy”
- How do you pronounce “chemotherapy”?
- “chemotherapy” is pronounced /ˌkiːmoʊˈθerəpiː/, with the stress on the third syllable (θe). Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “chemotherapy”?
- “chemotherapy” has 5 syllables: kiː · moʊ · θe · rə · piː. The stress pattern is ōoOoo.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “chemotherapy”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈtʃemɑːθəræpiː/, but it is actually /ˌkiːmoʊˈθerəpiː/, because the stress lands on the third syllable (“θe”), not on the first one — putting the beat at the front is the mistake almost everyone makes.
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