How to pronounce "hermaphrodites" in English
her·MAP·hro·di·tes
Primary stress: map
Hear native speakers say hermaphrodites in context across real video clips
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “hermaphrodites”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
her
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
MAP
Elevated pitch, sustained vowel length, and full acoustic clarity.
hro
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
di
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
tes
Reduced vowel sound, relaxed jaw, and minimal vocal effort.
Primary emphasis falls on the second syllable ("MAP"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America.
How Native Speakers Say It: In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "hermaphrodites" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "hermaphrodites is" sounds like "hermaphrodites-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "hermaphrodites" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Authentic Spoken Quotes from Native Video Context
“Now if we go to sequential hermaphrodites, it's useful to think of it as--this would be either an age”— YaleCoursesWatch clip
“For instance, some flatworms are simultaneous hermaphrodites, which means they have functional male and female reproductive organs.”— SciShowWatch clip
“Meet the hermaphrodites. These comb jellies and arrow worms produce, store and release both sperm and eggs.”— TED-EdWatch clip
“And the worms are hermaphrodites, meaning they are both male and female sex organs.”— MIT OpenCourseWareWatch clip
“basically could become hermaphrodites if both of these systems would completely”— StanfordWatch clip
“The snails are hermaphrodites.”— Smithsonian ChannelWatch clip
Practice Speaking “hermaphrodites”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
Now if we go to sequential hermaphrodites, it's useful to think of it as--this would be either an age
Hear it in context: “hermaphrodites”
38 clipsThe English word “hermaphrodites”. Phonologically, it consists of 5 syllables (her · map · hro · di · tes), with primary lexical stress placed on the 2nd syllable (map). Grammatically, “hermaphrodites” functions as a noun, adjective. SayItVid indexes 38 authentic English video clips demonstrating how native speakers articulate “hermaphrodites” in natural connected speech across American (US: 8 sampled), British (UK), and Australian (AUS) accents, including verified broadcasts from YaleCourses, SciShow, TED-Ed.
Spoken Video Transcripts & Contextual Quotes (5 Verified Clips)
- 🇺🇸 USYaleCoursesClip #1 · @18:39
“daughters. Now if we go to sequential hermaphrodites, it's useful to think of it as--this would be either an age it's useful to think of it as--this would be either an age”
- 🇺🇸 USSciShowClip #2 · @5:10
“Other sperm competition involves some tricky tactics outside the body too. For instance, some flatworms are simultaneous hermaphrodites, which means they have functional male and female reproductive organs. male and female reproductive organs.”
- 🇺🇸 USTED-EdClip #3 · @3:14
“The plankton is full of surprises when it comes to sex. Meet the hermaphrodites. These comb jellies and arrow worms produce, store and release both sperm and eggs. These comb jellies and arrow worms”
- 🇺🇸 USMIT OpenCourseWareClip #4 · @34:19
“Ced-1 is homozygous, in this case. And the worms are hermaphrodites, meaning they are both male and female sex organs. meaning they are both male and female sex organs.”
- 🇺🇸 USStanfordClip #5 · @14:46
“genitalia about seven weeks we have two complete sets of ducks we can be we basically could become hermaphrodites if both of these systems would completely produ uh develop but we basically have a mzc duct system that becomes the wolfian”
Definition & Meaning: “hermaphrodites”
- A person possessing ambiguous sexual organs or characteristics.
- Cosexual: an organism possessing both types of gonads; a flower possessing both stamens and pistils.
- Having ambiguous sexual organs or characteristics.
- Having both ovaries and testes or both stamens and pistils.
Example Sentences (3)
- “An earthworm is a hermaphrodite.”
- “Now if we go to sequential hermaphrodites, it's useful to think of it as--this would be either an age”
- “For instance, some flatworms are simultaneous hermaphrodites, which means they have functional male and female reproductive organs.”
Common Phrases & Collocations
Pronounce: “hermaphrodites”
- Syllables:
- her · map · hro · di · tes
- Primary stress:
- map
- Hear it in context
- hermaphrodites
Words that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"hermaphrodites" has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "hermaphrodites" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about hermaphrodites
How many syllables are in “hermaphrodites”?
“hermaphrodites” has 5 syllables: her · map · hro · di · tes.
Where is the stress in “hermaphrodites”?
The primary stress in “hermaphrodites” is on “MAP”. Listen for that stressed syllable in the clips above.
What does “hermaphrodites” mean?
A person possessing ambiguous sexual organs or characteristics.
How can I hear “hermaphrodites” used in real sentences?
This page has 38 real-world video examples of “hermaphrodites” with synchronized subtitles. Use Previous / Next (or ← / → keys) to hear each one at the exact moment it is spoken.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “hermaphrodites”?
Pronouncing a hard, aspirated [tʰ] in casual conversation can sound overly formal in North America. In American English, a single "t" between vowels quickly taps against the alveolar ridge like a soft "d" ([ɾ]). In British English, maintain a crisp aspirated [tʰ].