Streptomycin

Streptomycin is typically pronounced /ˌstrɛp.toʊˈmaɪ.sɪn/ (US/UK) with primary stress on the third syllable: strep-toe-MY-sin. Break it into four blocks: strepto- (strep-toh) + -mycin (my-sin). The “strepto” part rhymes with ‘pet’ + ‘to’ and the final syllable sounds like ‘sin’.

Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (e.g., strepto-MY-sin instead of strepto-to-MY-sin) and mispronouncing the -mycin ending as ‘-miseen’ or ‘-missin.’ Another frequent slip is merging the ‘sto’ in strepto with the following ‘my,’ creating an unclear boundary. To correct: keep four clear syllables, emphasize the MY in MY-sin, and pronounce -mi- as /maɪ/ rather than /miː/ or /mɪ/.

In US and UK, primary stress is on the third syllable (strep-to-MY-sin). Rhoticity affects the 'r' in initial cluster; US often has a pronounced /r/ in ‘strepto,’ while non-rhotic (some UK varieties) may soften it. The vowel in ‘to’ is a short /oʊ/ in US, similar in UK, while Australian accents may show slightly wider vowel quality and a slower diphthong shift in /oʊ/. Overall, the -mycin ending remains /maɪsɪn/ across accents.

Its difficulty stems from the four-syllable length with a mid-stress shift and the tricky -mycin ending, where the /maɪ/ diphthong contrasts with a short final /sɪn/. The initial 'strept-' cluster has two consonants in close succession, which can blur in casual speech. Practically, you’ll hear the rising nucleus in -my- and the voiced-voiceless boundary in -cin; slow it down, and rely on the four syllabic beat to place the stress correctly.

Streptomycin’s quirks include the subtle yod between -tro- and -my- in some speech, and variability in whether the second syllable is pronounced with a true /oʊ/ or a reduced /o/ in rapid speech. Also, in fast scientific narration, the initial /str/ cluster can blur slightly, so you should keep a crisp /str/ onset and pause slightly between strepto- and -mycin to preserve the four-syllable rhythm.