4 syllables: A, ci, clo, vir. Stress on ci.
uh-SEYE-kloh-vurr
/əˈsaɪkloʊvɜr/
Aciclovir is pronounced uh-SEYE-kloh-vurr (/əˈsaɪkloʊvɜr/). It has four syllables (A-ci-clo-vir), with the stress on "ci". Aciclovir is an antiviral medication used to treat herpes simplex and varicella-zoster infections. It is typically prescribed for its ability to inhibit viral replication, reducing symptoms and duration of outbreaks. Pronouncing it correctly helps healthcare conversations, prescriptions, and patient education flow smoothly.
nounAciclovir is an antiviral medication used to treat herpes simplex and varicella-zoster infections. It is typically prescribed for its ability to inhibit viral replication, reducing symptoms and duration of outbreaks. Pronouncing it correctly helps healthcare conversations, prescriptions, and patient education flow smoothly.
- You often misplace the stress on Aciclovir; most speakers should place primary stress on CLO: a-si-CLO-vir. Practice by tapping the rhythm: da-da-CLÓ-vir. - The second syllable 'ci' rhyme can be mispronounced as see or sigh; it should be a light schwa-like /ə/ or /ɪ/ depending on dialect, transitioning to /əʊ/ in the CLO syllable. - Final '-vir' can come out as 'veer' or 'vir' without linking; keep a clear, voiced /vɪər/ or /vɪr/ depending on accent. Tips: isolate each syllable, then blend. - If you’re non-native, avoid substituting /æ/ in the first syllable; use a short /æ/ or /ə/ depending on accent, and practice the 'clo' cluster by keeping /k/ release crisp and the following /l/ clear.
How to Pronounce Aciclovir
"The doctor prescribed Aciclovir to shorten the duration of the outbreak."
"She asked for a dosage guide to take Aciclovir correctly."
"Aciclovir is often used in combination with other antiviral therapies."
Pronounce as /ˌæɪsɪˈkləʊvɪər/ (US: /ˌæsɪˈkləʊvɪər/). Stress falls on the third syllable “clo.” Break it into a-si-clo-vir with the /ɪ/ in the first syllable and /əʊ/ in the second, ending with /vɪər/. Mouth positions: start with a short front vowel, glide to a clear /ɒ/ or /oʊ/ without diphthong confusion, finish with a voiced “vir.” Audio reference: consult standard pronunciation videos from medical channels or Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries for the acyclovir family. Keywords: acyclovir pronunciation, Aciclovir stress, medical pronunciation.
Common mistakes include misplacing stress (like stressing the wrong syllable on -clo- or misplacing on -vir) and mispronouncing the vowel in the second syllable as a long /i:/ or /i/ instead of the correct /əʊ/ or /oʊ/. Also some speakers overpower the final /r/ in non-rhotic accents. Correction: emphasize the second-to-last stressed syllable: a-si-CLO-vir, use /əʊ/ for the “clo” vowel, and finish with a clear /vɪər/.
In US, the word tends to be /ˌæsɪˈklaɪvɪr/ or /ˌæsɪˈkləʊvɪr/, with a rhotic final. UK/AU commonly use /ˌæsɪˈkləʊvɪər/ or /ˌæ sɪˈkləʊvɪə/. US often reduces vowels more in connected speech; UK/AU keep a slightly longer /əʊ/ and a more open /ə/ in the first unstressed syllable. The final -vir typically lands as /vɪr/ in US and /vɪə/ in non-rhotic varieties. Reference: medical dictionaries and pronunciation resources for acyclovir family.
The difficulty lies in the combination of /ɪ/ vs /ɪə/ in the second syllable, the /kləʊ/ diphthong, and the final /vɪər/ vs /vɪə/ across accents, plus stress placement that isn’t always obvious in fast speech. Practicing the four-syllable rhythm, isolating the “clo” cluster, and finishing with a clear, voiced /r/ helps stabilize the pronunciation. Focus on the transition from /ˌæsɪ/ to /ˈkləʊ/ and the final /vɪər/.
A useful tip is to anchor the word around the second syllable ‘clo’ as the nucleus of the stress: a-si-CLO-vir. Practicing with minimal pairs like 'clover' vs 'clove' helps tune the /kl/ onset and /oʊ/ vowel. Visual mouth positioning: keep lips rounded for /oʊ/ and relax jaw for /ə/. Use slowed, then speeded playback to maintain the contrast between the middle and final syllables.
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- US: emphasize rhotics, keep /r/ at the end; the last syllable rhymes with 'veer' if you’re rhotic. The 'clo' diphthong should be /loʊ/ or /ləʊ/ depending on region, but in US often a clearer /loʊ/. - UK: non-rhotic; final /r/ is silent; keep /ˈkləʊ.vɪə/ with a longer /əʊ/ and a schwa for 'li' or 'li' as /lɪ/ depending on speaker. - AU: similar to UK but with slightly flatter vowels; watch for the final /ə/ or /əː/ approximations. IPA references: US /ˌæsɪˈklaʊvɪər/ debate around /klaʊ/ vs /kləʊ/; standard would be /ˌæsɪˈkləʊvɪər/ US and UK. - Always listen to a native speaker: Forvo, YouGlish, Pronounce to confirm.
Aciclovir derives from the combination of chemical naming conventions and its antiviral action. The root “acyclo-” is a contraction of acyclic, reflecting its acyclic guanine analogue structure, while “-lovir” comes from the purine nucleoside analogue family, common to antiviral drugs like acyclovir. The term entered medical vocabulary in the 1980s as researchers identified its mechanism: inhibiting DNA polymerase in herpesviruses. The first marketed forms appeared in Europe in the late 1980s, with early research tracing back to attempts to synthesize nucleoside analogues that could selectively block viral replication without harming human cells. Over time, the spelling stabilized in English as Aciclovir (UK/medical literature) and acyclovir (US standard). The pronunciation guides co-evolved as clinicians encountered bilingual journal articles, leading to both forms becoming widely recognized in international pharmacology. The word’s evolution mirrors a shift toward standardized antiviral nomenclature, balancing Latinized roots with modern pharmacological suffixes, while maintaining a recognizable core that links to the parent compound, acyclovir, across languages.
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Words that rhyme with "Aciclovir"
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