Prevention is a commonly misspelled word due to its tricky vowel placement. The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /prɪˈvɛnʃən/. Note that the letter "e" appears twice in the middle of the word, but is pronounced with a schwa sound. The stress falls on the second syllable, which is indicated by the accent mark. To remember the correct spelling, try breaking the word down into its syllables and practicing each one separately: pre-ven-tion.
Prevention is a noun that refers to the act or practice of stopping something from happening, or the action of avoiding or stopping an undesirable event or outcome. It involves taking proactive measures to ensure that a specific situation or event is avoided, minimized, or controlled.
In the context of health and medicine, prevention involves actions taken to keep diseases, illnesses, or injuries from occurring. This may include receiving immunizations, practicing good hygiene, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and regular check-ups. It aims to minimize the risk factors that could lead to the development or worsening of health conditions.
In a broader sense, prevention can apply to a range of areas, including crime, accidents, and environmental issues. It involves implementing measures that deter crime, such as increased police presence or surveillance systems. Additionally, prevention in accidents could mean implementing safety protocols or design changes to reduce the chances of disasters occurring. Regarding environmental issues, prevention refers to taking steps to protect and preserve natural resources or to mitigate the impact of pollution and climate change.
Prevention is crucial as it focuses on averting problems before they arise, reducing potential harm and negative consequences. By targeting the root causes and risk factors of various situations, prevention can save lives, resources, and time. It is a proactive approach that aims to reduce the prevalence and impact of undesirable events, creating a safer and healthier environment for individuals and communities.
Hindrance; obstruction of access or approach.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "prevention" originates from the Latin term "praeventus", which is the past participle of "praevent-", a verb form of the word "praevenire". In Latin, "prae" means "before", and "venire" means "to come". Hence, "praevenire" means "to come before" or "to anticipate". This Latin word later evolved into "prevent" in English, and "prevention" was derived from it, maintaining the concept of intervention or action taken beforehand to avoid or stop something negative from happening.