Asthma Has a Silent TH
Asthma is a condition that narrows the airways. Its Greek spelling survived into English intact, and the pronunciation did not.
Asthma is a long-term condition in which the airways narrow and swell, making breathing difficult. The spelling is pure Greek and the pronunciation is not: almost every English speaker says AZ-muh, dropping the *th* entirely. The word is Greek for panting, which is exactly what the condition produces.
- A respiratory condition. *Childhood asthma.*
- Asthmatic — having asthma. *An asthmatic child.*
- Asthma attack — a sudden worsening. *A severe asthma attack.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | asthma | Severe asthma. |
| Adjective | asthmatic | Asthmatic wheeze. |
| Noun | asthmatic | She is asthmatic. |
| Related | inhaler | A blue inhaler. |
| Related | bronchodilator | A bronchodilator drug. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Cold air can trigger asthma.A common trigger.
- He carries a reliever inhaler.For sudden symptoms.
- Asthma affects hundreds of millions of people.One of the most common chronic conditions.
Words with a silent or unspoken TH
- asthma — AZ-muh
- isthmus — IS-mus
- clothes — often KLOHZ in rapid speech
- Thames — TEMZ
- Thomas — TOM-as
From Greek *asthma*, panting or short-drawn breath, from *azein*, to breathe hard. Medieval English wrote it *asma* before scholars restored the Greek spelling.
How do you pronounce it?
AZ-muh in most of the English-speaking world. The th is not sounded.
Why is the th there at all?
Scholars restored the Greek spelling in the sixteenth century, after English had been writing it *asma* for centuries.