4 syllables: Al, pra, zol, am. Stress on pra.
al-PRAZ-uh-lam
/ælˈpræzəlæm/
Alprazolam is pronounced al-PRAZ-uh-lam (/ælˈpræzəlæm/). It has four syllables (Al-pra-zol-am), with the stress on "pra". Alprazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine tranquilizer used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. It acts on the central nervous system to produce a calming effect and is typically prescribed for brief courses due to potential dependence and tolerance. In medical contexts it’s known by its brand names and in pharmacology texts as an anxiolytic medication with rapid onset.
nounAlprazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine tranquilizer used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. It acts on the central nervous system to produce a calming effect and is typically prescribed for brief courses due to potential dependence and tolerance. In medical contexts it’s known by its brand names and in pharmacology texts as an anxiolytic medication with rapid onset.
- You may stress the wrong syllable or blend the syllables, producing AL-prə-ZOL-am or al-PRAY-zol-am. Correct by marking the syllable boundaries and practicing the sequence with slow, deliberate articulation until it becomes natural. - The /z/ and /s/ sounds in alprazolam are easy to merge; ensure you separate the z from the following o with a brief vowel tug, so it’s /ˈæl.prəˌzɒ.læm/ rather than /ˈæl.prəˌzɒm/. - The ending -lam can be rushed; practice ending with a short but clear 'am' rather than 'lam' with a long vowel. Record and compare to reference audio to hear crisp final consonants.
"You might be prescribed alprazolam for acute panic symptoms."
"The doctor cautioned about potential drowsiness when taking alprazolam."
"Alprazolam should be taken exactly as prescribed and not mixed with alcohol."
Pronounce as AL-prə-ZOL-am, with primary stress on the first syllable and secondary stress on the third. IPA: US ˈæl.prəˌzɒ.læm; UK ˌæl.prəˈzɒ.læm; AU ˌæl.prəˈzɒ.læm. Begin with a clear 'A' as in 'apple', then an unstressed 'lprə' blend, emphasize 'zol' with an open back rounded vowel, end with a clear 'am' sound. Think of saying ‘AL-pruh-ZOH-lam’ quickly and smoothly, not 'Al-pra-zo-lam'. Audio reference: consult medical pronunciation tutorials for alprazolam.”,
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, pronouncing it as al-PRAY-zo-lam or al-prA-zol-am; (2) Slurring the ‘z’ and ‘l’ cluster, making it ‘zal-uh-lam’ instead of ‘zol-uh-lam’; (3) Replacing the American vowel in the second syllable with a shorter sound. Correction tips: practice AL-prə-ZOL-am with a held ‘zol’ syllable, enunciate the 'z' clearly, and lengthen the 'ol' diphthong to mimic /ɒ/ as in ‘lot’ in UK/US rhotic contexts.”,
US: ˈæl.prəˌzɒ·læm with rhotic Rless? actually non-rhotic R is not present; rhotacization not here. UK: ˌæl.prəˈzɒ.læm with slightly shorter first syllable, emphasis on the third; AU: ˌæl.prəˈzɒ.læm with similar pattern to UK but with Australian vowel quality, sometimes broader vowel in the first unstressed syllable. Overall variation centers on vowel length and syllable stress; the core sequence /ˈæl.prəˌzɒ.læm/ remains intact.”,
Because of the length and the rare consonant cluster /lz/ combined with the sequence /prəˌzɒ/ in many dialects. The middle 'zol' part includes a z-sound followed by an o-lAmm thick vowel transition. People also misplace stress due to its medical context. Practice focusing on the cluster -zɒ- and the final -am, ensuring the 'z' stays crisp and the final syllable isn’t reduced. IPA cues help: /ˈæl.prəˌzɒ.læm/ is the reliable target.”,
Unique feature: the second syllable has a schwa-like and an unstressed 'prə' sequence before a prominent 'zɒ' in many dialects; this can be tricky as listeners rely on the vowel quality to segment syllables. The final '-lam' tends to be a light, quick ending rather than a strongly enunciated '-lăm' in some casual speech. Focusing on keeping the middle 'z' crisp and finishing with a light alveolar 'm' helps maintain accuracy.
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- US: emphasize the second syllable with a light schwa in the first, then a clear /z/ and /ɒ/ before the final /læm/. IPA: /ˈæl.prəˌzɒ.læm/. - UK: similar pattern but with slightly shorter /ɒ/ and crisper /z/; aim for /ˌæl.prəˈzɒ.læm/. - AU: tends to be slightly more vowel-tuned in the first unstressed syllable, but keeps /zɒ.læm/ intact; practise with /ˌæl.prəˈzɒ.læm/ and adjust vowel quality to your natural Australian vowel sounds. - Reference strategies: listen to native pronunciation on Forvo or YouGlish for each accent and mimic the mouth shapes in slow motion before speeding up.
Alprazolam derives from chemical naming conventions used for benzodiazepine drugs. The prefix “al-” and root syllable likely reflect the compound’s synthetic structure rather than a meaningful lexical root in everyday language. The core “-zolam” portion is common across many benzodiazepines and signals a specific class of azapeptide-like lactam structures used in their pharmacophore. The term entered medical lexicons in the late 20th century as psychologists and pharmacologists developed anxiolytics with rapid onset. First uses appear in pharmacology literature in the 1960s–1980s era as researchers explored faster-acting alternatives to older sedatives. The drug was marketed in the 1980s, and its name became widely used in clinical notes, prescription labels, and patient information leaflets, eventually becoming part of medical vernacular regarding anxiety treatment. The word’s phonological pattern mirrors other benzodiazepines, with a stress pattern often placed on the third syllable in many English-speaking contexts. Historically, as with many pharmaceutical terms, pronunciation standardization occurred through medical training, regulatory labeling, and patient-facing materials, contributing to a relatively uniform cross-dialect pronunciation.
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Words that rhyme with "Alprazolam"
-ram sounds
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