Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

down syndrome

/daʊn ˈsɪndɹoʊm/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.22 in modern English

Syllables
Down syn-drome
IPA
/daʊn ˈsɪndɹoʊm/
22
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21 (a chromosomal excess), whereby the patients typically have a delay in cognitive ability and physical growth, as well as a small head and tilted eyelids.

Australian usage; Canadian usage; New Zealand usage; American usage; Uncountable

Etymology

Named after English physician John Langdon Haydon Down (1828–1896), who first described the condition as a distinct form of mental disability in the 1860s.

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /daʊn ˈsɪndɹoʊm/
  • British English: /daʊn ˈsɪndɹəʊm/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Down’s syndrome (alternative)

Phrases

Down syndrome regression disorder

Synonyms

Down's mongolism Mongolian idiocy trisomy 21 mongolianism down's syndrome

Questions

How do you pronounce down syndrome?
The recorded pronunciation is /daʊn ˈsɪndɹoʊm/.
What does down syndrome mean?
A genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21 (a chromosomal excess), whereby the patients typically have a delay in cognitive ability and physical growth, as well as a small head and tilted eyelids.
Where does down syndrome come from?
Named after English physician John Langdon Haydon Down (1828–1896), who first described the condition as a distinct form of mental disability in the 1860s.

How to pronounce down syndrome

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “down syndrome”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/daʊn ˈsɪndɹoʊm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “down syndrome”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “down syndrome” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.