4 syllables: am, phe, ta, mine. Stress on phe.
am-FET-uh-meen
/æˈmfɛtəˌmin/
amphetamine is pronounced am-FET-uh-meen (/æˈmfɛtəˌmin/). It has four syllables (am-phe-ta-mine), with the stress on "phe". A stimulant drug that increases alertness, attention, and energy, often used in medical and research contexts. It is a derivative of phenethylamine with a methyl group, producing pronounced central nervous system effects. The term also covers related compounds used therapeutically, though its abuse potential is high and legal status varies by jurisdiction.
A stimulant drug that increases alertness, attention, and energy, often used in medical and research contexts. It is a derivative of phenethylamine with a methyl group, producing pronounced central nervous system effects. The term also covers related compounds used therapeutically, though its abuse potential is high and legal status varies by jurisdiction.
- • Misplacing stress on the first syllable, saying am-FET-uh-mee or AM-phe-ta-meen; correct: am-FET-uh-mee with primary stress on the second syllable and a reduced middle syllable. • Overpronouncing the final -mine as a long 'meen' instead of a light 'mee'; keep final syllable short and unstressed: am-FET-uh-mee. • Slurring the /mf/ cluster in 'am' leading to an unclear onset; start with clear /æ/ then /m/ then /f/; practice slow drills to separate consonants.
"The patient was prescribed an amphetamine-based medication to treat narcolepsy."
"Researchers studied the behavioral effects of amphetamine under controlled conditions."
"The street name for amphetamine is sometimes seen in reports on illicit drug use."
Say am-FE-tuh-meen, with primary stress on the second syllable: /ˌæmˈfɛtəmi/ (US) or /ˌæmˈfetəmi/ (UK/AU). Open the mouth slightly for the first syllable, then lift the mid-vowel in the second syllable, and finish with a light 'mee' syllable. Listen for the subtle rhotic-avoidance in non-rhotic speakers and ensure the final 'mine' ends with a light 'ee' sound. For reference, compare to 'amphetamine' as in pharmacology texts; you’ll hear the sharper second syllable and a soft ending rather than a hard 'mine'.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the primary stress on the first syllable (am-FET-a-meen vs AM-phet-a-meen); 2) Over-saying the middle vowel as a long ‘ee’ sound; correct as short e (ɛ) in fɛ-, not fi: am-FET-uh-mee; 3) Dropping the final -ine syllable or turning it into -een without the schwa: end with -mi rather than -meen. Focus on the middle /fɛ/ and keep the final /mi/ light and short.
US: /ˌæmˈfɛtəmi/ with rhotic r? Not present; the stress on second syllable; middle vowel as ɛ. UK/AU: /ˌæmˈfetəmi/ with similar rhythm but often more clipped or lengthened vowels; non-rhotic accents may omit r but amphetamine has no r. Australian tends to British-like rhoticity absent in British RP; overall vowel quality slight fronting and a more open /æ/.
Two main challenges: the unstressed first syllable blends quickly; the middle /ɛ/ is brief and can become schwa-like in rapid speech; final -mine can sound like -mee; the sequence /mf/ in am- is often slurred; practice with slow enunciation and minimal pairs to separate /m/, /f/, and /t/.IPA cues help—/ˌæmˈfɛtəmi/—to keep the clear mid-front vowel and ensure the sweet final /mi/.
Does amphetamine have a true 'fʰ' before the /t/? In careful speech the /f/ is a voiceless labiodental fricative /f/ with a short /ɛ/ vowel; there is not a strong aspirated 'ph' or 'ph' digraph; keep the /f/ as a plain fricative and avoid turning it into /fθ/ or /fth/ by misplacing tongue. The stress remains on the second syllable.
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- US: /ˌæmˈfɛtəmi/ with a mid-front lax vowel in /ɛ/; non-rhoticity is not a major factor here as there is no rhotic r; UK: /ˌæmˈfetəmi/ similar vowels, slightly crisper consonants; AU: /ˌæmˈfetəmi/ often similar to UK; differences: AUS may have more centralized vowels and a stronger relaxation in final syllable; pay attention to rhoticity differences if you speak with rhotic influence.
The word amphetamine derives from the combination of ampere- (not directly; via amphetamine’s relation to phenethylamine) and -amine, indicating a chemical amine with a phenethyl backbone. First coined in the 1880s in Germany, the term described a class of synthetic amines with a phenethyl group. The structure features a phenyl ring attached to an ethyl chain bearing an amine group. In pharmacology, amphetamine refers specifically to a small subset of phenethylamines with a methyl group at the alpha carbon, yielding the amphetamine: a three-carbon side chain with a terminal amine. Over time, the term broadened to include related compounds such as dextro- and levo- isomers, and later, synthetic derivatives like methamphetamine, which share core phenethylamine scaffolding but differ in methylation and substituents. The earliest medical use traces to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with early applications as a bronchial dilator and stimulant, followed by psycho-stimulant applications in psychiatry and neurology. The broader cultural and regulatory history reflects rising concerns about abuse and dependence, leading to strict controls in many countries by the late 20th century. First known written use in scientific literature appeared in German texts around 1887–1900, with English-language adoption in the early 1900s as pharmacological research expanded.
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Words that rhyme with "amphetamine"
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