kernicterus
/kɝˈnɪktəɹəs/noun
kernicterus is spelled K-E-R-N-I-C-T-E-R-U-S: 11 letters. It appears about once in every 93 million words in written English, the 309,272nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kernicterus means “Damage to the brain centres of infants caused by increased levels of unconjugated-indirect bilirubin which is free (not bound to albumin)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in kernicterus?
| Letters | 11: K-E-R-N-I-C-T-E-R-U-S |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 93 million words; the 309,272nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is kernicterus?
Kernicterus appears about once in every 93 million words in written English, the 309,272nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce kernicterus?
- UK /kɜːˈnɪktəɹəs/
- US /kɝˈnɪktəɹəs/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of kernicterus
- kernikterus
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kernicterus mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Damage to the brain centres of infants caused by increased levels of unconjugated-indirect bilirubin which is free (not bound to albumin).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kernicterus in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense infant brain damage caused by increased levels of unconjugated-indirect free bil:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Kernikterus, Bilirubinenzephalopathie |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does kernicterus come from?
Borrowed from German Kernikterus, from Kern (“nucleus”) + Ikterus (“icterus, jaundice”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).