The Best Pronunciation of “Tinnitus”

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Kay Galbraith in Sparks, Nevada.

Hi, Kay. Welcome to the show.

Thanks. I’m delighted to be able to do this.

What can we help you with?

Over the years, I’ve had a dilemma about the pronunciation of tinnitus or tinnitus.

And recently, I bought hearing aids.

And when I asked whether they could be set to mask my tinnitus, when Kim replied, he said tinnitus.

So I’ve had the condition since the mid-90s and have heard both pronunciations, but most of the time, tinnitus is from professionals.

And I remember years ago being in medical terminology class, and we were told that itis on the end of the word, like tonsillitis and appendicitis, meant that there was an inflammation.

Well, I knew that didn’t make sense with this.

And so anyway, I’ve never really looked into it.

And Tim, the gentleman I bought my hearing aids from, says, why don’t you call A Way with Words?

And I thought, that’s a great idea.

And I thought you guys would probably clear it up for us.

It is a great idea.

We’re glad you called.

Your experience jibes with mine, usually hearing medical professionals say tinnitus rather than tinnitus.

I think the rest of us tend to say tinnitus just by analogy with arthritis and tonsillitis, gastritis and mastitis.

All those itises that have to do with inflammation or disease.

But yeah, I suspect it goes back to the Latin origins of the word.

It comes from the Latin tenere, which means to ring or to tinkle.

Like a bell, not like in the bathroom.

Like a bell.

And in fact, you know, the Edgar Allan Poe poem with the tintinabulation, it’s a relative of that word because tintinabulum in Latin means bell.

Tinnitus or tinnitus tends to be a kind of ringing sound or buzzing sound, right?

True.

Mine’s kind of a high-fixed ringing, but I understand there’s all kinds of sounds that are far more annoying than what I have.

I’m wondering, too, if medical professionals tend to pronounce it differently because it’s spelled differently, right?

It ends in a U.S., tinnitus.

Yes, I noticed that.

I never really looked it up before.

I just kept saying tinnitus.

I did the same thing growing up, and it was only recently when I heard a doctor talking about it that I started listening more closely.

And, indeed, I hear lots of medical professionals say tinnitus.

So either one’s correct.

I think the vast majority of us tend to say tinnitus.

And there are even style guides that will tell broadcast announcers to say tinnitus.

Yeah, that’s right.

I found an NBC style guide from the 1950s.

That’s the pronunciation that they recommended even back then.

I’ll be darned.

Okay.

I thought maybe tinnitus was actually correct.

So either one is.

Well, I’d say you clarified it pretty good for me.

It’s not exactly wrong, so I’ll just probably continue with tinnitus.

I think that’s a good decision.

You’re not wrong.

Thank you so much for your call.

And thanks so much.

I really enjoy your show.

Take care.

Bye-bye.

Thanks.

Bye.

Bye-bye.

877-929-9673.