JAMB 2018 English Language · Question 68

The patient is suffering from …

Question

Choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap. The patient is suffering from ____________

A.reumatism
B.rheumantism
C.rhuematism
D.rheumatism

Answer: D. rheumatism

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: This is a spelling question. You need to pick the correctly spelled word for the painful condition affecting the joints and muscles.

Explain the concept: The word is rheumatism. It comes from the Greek word rheuma, meaning "flow" or "discharge." That origin explains the tricky opening rheu-, which is also found in related words like rheumatic and rheumatoid.

Step-by-step solution: Check each option against the correct spelling, r-h-e-u-m-a-t-i-s-m:

A. reumatism: The silent h is missing after the "r". Wrong.
B. rheumantism: An extra n has been inserted ("rheuman-"). Wrong.
C. rhuematism: The letters e and u are swapped ("rhue-" instead of "rheu-"). Wrong.
D. rheumatism: r-h-e-u-m-a-t-i-s-m. Correct.

Tip: Break the word into chunks: rheu + ma + tism. Remember that "Rh" comes first, followed by "eu" in that order. You can also use the memory phrase: "Rheumatism Hurts Every User's Muscles And Toes, Indeed, Sometimes Much." The first letters spell R-H-E-U-M-A-T-I-S-M.

Other commonly misspelled words in JAMB English are rhythm, rhyme, and rhinoceros. All of them have a silent h after the "r".

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