Arabidopsis is a small flowering plant widely used as a model organism in plant biology and genetics. It is the species Arabidopsis thaliana, chosen for its small genome, short life cycle, and ease of laboratory cultivation. The term denotes this specific plant in scientific contexts and research literature.
- Be mindful of the three main vowels in quick succession: /æ/ or /ə/, /ɪ/ and /ɒ/; in rapid speech they can blur. Focus on segmenting as A-RA-bi-DOP-i-sis; avoid attaching stress to the first syllable. - Commonly, speakers mispronounce the /dɒ/ as /dɔː/ or merge /pɪ/ with /sɪs/. Correct by practicing the /dɒ/ as a short, sharp stop and the /pɪ/ followed by /sɪs/ with a light breath between. - The final /sɪs/ often becomes /s/ or /z/ if voicing leaks; keep final /ɪsɪs/ crisp with a light breath; maintain unvoiced /s/. - Another pitfall is over-articulation of the middle consonant sequence; keep /dɒp/ without thickening the lips; practice with minimal pairs to lock the transition.
- US: maintain mild rhotics, keep /r/ soft; vowels tend to be shorter, with clearer /ɒ/ vs /ɒː/; emphasize the stressed third syllable. - UK: slightly fricative post-vocalic /r/ less dominant, crisper /ɒ/ vowel, more precise /dɒ/; the rhythm remains a clean three-beat pattern. - AU: tends to broader vowels with slightly lengthened vowels in stressed syllables; maintain a five-syllable cadence and a flatter intonation contour in formal settings. - General IPA notes: /ˌærəˈbɪdɒpɪsɪs/ with primary stress on /dɒ/ or /dɒp/ depending on delivery; keep /æ/ or /ə/ initial syllables light, then crisp /dɒ/ and final /pɪsɪs/.
"Researchers used Arabidopsis to study gene expression related to drought tolerance."
"Arabidopsis thaliana serves as a foundational model in plant developmental biology."
"The team sequenced the Arabidopsis genome to identify key regulatory pathways."
"Arabidopsis is often the first plant genome to be annotated in comparative studies."
Arabidopsis is derived from the genus name Arabidopsis, which itself originates from Latinized Greek roots. ‘Arabidopsis’ was coined in the 20th century to classify a group of small, weed-like flowering plants within the Brassicaceae family. The most widely studied species, Arabidopsis thaliana, was named to reflect its similarity to older genre labels and its tissue structure (thallus-like in some early descriptors). The species epithet ‘thaliana’ honors the botanist Theodor Wilhelm Thaliana in some literature, though in practice it is treated as a conventional Latinized binomial. The designation gained prominence with the rise of plant molecular biology in the 1990s and 2000s, when the A. thaliana genome was sequenced and became a standard reference for plant genetics. First widely used in modern experiments in the late 20th century, Arabidopsis thaliana rose to prominence as the model organism of choice due to its small genome, rapid generation time, and ease of genetic manipulation, shaping a widely cited corpus of model-plant research.
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Help others use "Arabidopsis" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Arabidopsis" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Arabidopsis" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Arabidopsis"
-sis sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Usual pronunciation is ˌærəˈbɪdɒpɪsɪs (three or four syllables: a-ru-bi-DOP-i-sis) with primary stress on the third syllable in many academic contexts, though some speakers place primary stress on the second due to rapid speech. Start with /ær/ as in 'air' with a light schwa, then /ə/ or /əˈ/ leading to /bɪˈdɒ/ or /ˈdɒp/ depending on dialect, and finish with /ɪsɪs/. A helpful cue is to segment as A-ra-bi-DO-pi-sis and keep the /r/ rhoticity mild in US, more rhotic in some UK accents, and a clear final /sɪs/.
Two common errors are over-acceleration across multiple syllables, causing loss of the /bɪ/ cluster, and misplacing stress on the wrong syllable. Correct by practicing as Drei-bee-dop-uh-sis with primary stress on the third syllable (/ˌærəˈbɪdɒpɪsɪs/). Another frequent pitfall is pronouncing /dɒ/ as /dɔː/ or elongating vowels too much; keep /ɒ/ as the short open back vowel, like in 'lot'. Use segment-by-segment practice and minimal pairs, e.g., Arabidopsis vs. arabiDOP-isis to reinforce the stressed syllable.
In US English, you’ll hear rhotic r sounds and relatively clipped vowels: /ˌærəˈbɪ.də.pɪ.sɪs/ with a light /r/ and reduced second syllable. UK speakers may maintain a slightly less rhotic or more distinct /r/ and a crisper /ɒ/ in the /dɒ/ section: /ˌærəˈbɪdɒpɪsɪs/. Australian speakers often keep a five-syllable cadence with less r-coloring and slightly broader /ɒ/ vowels: /ˌærəˈbɪdɒpɪsɪs/ or /ˌæɹəˈbɪdəpɪsɪs/ depending on locality. Focus on rhoticity, vowel quality, and the reduction of unstressed vowels, which can shift subtly between regions.
It’s difficult mainly because of the multi-syllabic structure, unusual consonant cluster /dɒp/ with a subtle /d/, and the non-intuitive stress pattern that places emphasis on the later syllable. The word also includes three short vowels in close proximity, which can invite vowel reduction in rapid speech. Practicing with isolated syllables, then combining, helps stabilize the rhythm and reduce sloppiness.”,
A distinct feature is the tri-syllabic rhythm with an internal emphasis that may shift depending on the speaker’s tempo. The sequence ‘a-RA-bi-dop-i-sis’ or ‘AR-a-bi-DOP-i-sis’ are both encountered, but most formal scientific speech lands on the third syllable for primary stress, yielding a clear, technical cadence often heard in seminars and journal talks. IPA guides emphasize the /æ/ or /ə/ realization across the first two syllables, then /ˈdɒ/ and final /pɪsɪs/.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Arabidopsis"!
- Shadowing: listen to a native speaker reading a scientific abstract about Arabidopsis and repeat in real time, matching the rhythm and stress. - Minimal pairs: compare Arabidopsis with ‘Arabidopsis thaliana’ vs. ‘arabidopsis’ stress shift examples; also contrast with ‘arabiдopsis’ in different accents to feel rhoticity. - Rhythm practice: count 1-2-3-4 with emphasis on the third beat; practice with a metronome at slow (60 BPM) to normal (90 BPM) to fast (120 BPM) tempo. - Stress practice: isolate syllables A-RA-bi-DOP-i-sis, then swap primary stress to earlier syllables to feel the natural emphasis pattern; practice with sentences to lock context. - Recording: record yourself saying in context: “Arabidopsis thaliana was chosen as a model organism,” then compare with reference audio; adjust intonation and breath groups.
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