Pronunciation guide

How to pronounce tuberculosis

too-bur-kyoo-LOH-sis (US) or tew-bur-kyoo-LOH-sis (UK); five syllables, stress on 'LOH'

US/tuˌbɝkjʊˈloʊsɪs/

tubɝkjʊloʊsɪs

UK/tʃuːˌbɜːɹkjʊˈləʊsɪs/

tʃuːbɜːɹkjʊləʊsɪs

New to IPA symbols? Read the IPA guide.

What “tuberculosis” means

An infectious disease of humans and animals caused by a species of mycobacterium, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mainly infecting the lungs where it causes tubercles characterized by the expectoration of mucus and sputum, fever, weight loss, and chest pain, and transmitted through inhalation or ingestion of bacteria.

In a sentence

  • Tuberculosis is an infectious disease mainly affecting the lungs.
  • Public health campaigns work to prevent and treat tuberculosis.

Say it out loud a few times, then check yourself.

Look up another wordTry a pronunciation quiz

Definitions and examples are derived from Wiktionary, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, then edited by QuickPronounce. Pronunciation data draws on CMUdict.