Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

halitosis

/hæl.ɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.10 in modern English

Syllables: hal-i-to-sis
IPA: /hæl.ɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The condition of having stale or foul-smelling breath.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Bad breath or halitosis is an indication of a disturbed digestive system. It is indicative of a bowel toxemia in either the small or large intestine with an overgrowth of bacteria or yeast."
"For example, the word halitosis was almost completely unknown among the general public until the early 20th century when a business owner named Gerard Lambert started using it to sell a new product called Listerine. By giving a mundane fact of life (bad breath) a scientific sounding label, Lambert elevated the authority and desirability of his product many times over."

Etymology

Coined by doctor Joseph William Howe in 1874 and described as being derived from the Latin hālitus (literally “whiff, breath”) and the Ancient Greek νόσος (nósos, literally “disease”). It can be also understood as combination of the Latin hālitus and the English suffix -osis.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: hālitus, νόσος

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /hæl.ɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/
British English: /hæl.ɪˈtəʊ.sɪs/

Usage

Inflected Forms

halitoses (plural)

Derived Forms

antihalitosis halitophobia halitotic pseudohalitosis

Phrases

bad breath

Frequently Paired Words

inhale exhale bad breath

Synonyms

bromopnea fetor oris ozostomia stomatodysodia

Rhymes With

diagnosis tuberculosis prognosis sclerosis hypnosis psychosis apoptosis osteoporosis thrombosis stenosis osmosis symbiosis

Questions

How do you pronounce halitosis?: The recorded pronunciation is /hæl.ɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/.
What does halitosis mean?: The condition of having stale or foul-smelling breath.
Where does halitosis come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce halitosis

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “halitosis”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/hæl.ɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “halitosis”.
Repeat and practice — Say “halitosis” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.