3 syllables: Che, lat, ors. Stress on Che.
KEL-uh-tay-tawrz
/ˈkɛləˌteɪtɔɹz/
Chelators is pronounced KEL-uh-tay-tawrz (/ˈkɛləˌteɪtɔɹz/). It has three syllables (Che-lat-ors), with the stress on "Che". Chelators are substances that bind and remove metal ions from solutions or biological systems, often forming stable complexes. In chemistry and biology, chelators are used to detoxify metals or regulate metal availability. The term denotes agents that lace or snares metal ions through multiple donor atoms, typically yielding chelate rings that enhance stability and selectivity.
nounChelators are substances that bind and remove metal ions from solutions or biological systems, often forming stable complexes. In chemistry and biology, chelators are used to detoxify metals or regulate metal availability. The term denotes agents that lace or snares metal ions through multiple donor atoms, typically yielding chelate rings that enhance stability and selectivity.
"The experiment used ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as a chelator to sequester calcium ions."
"Medical chelators can treat heavy metal poisoning by forming stable complexes that the body can excrete."
"Researchers designed chelators to target specific metal ions in tumor microenvironments."
Chelators is pronounced /ˈkɛlɪˌteɹz/ in US English, with primary stress on the first syllable and a secondary stress on the second: CHEL-uh-ters. The first syllable sounds like ‘kel’ as in kettle; the second syllable ‘a’ is a schwa, and the final ‘tors’ sounds like -tərz in many dialects. In IPA: US: ˈkɛlɪˌtɔrz; UK/AU: ˈkɛləˌtɔːz. Practice by stressing CHEL, then quickly moving to -a-tors, letting the final z. For audio reference, listen to scientific pronunciation clips and mimic the cadence.
Common mistakes include flattening the stress across syllables (saying chel-a-tors with even emphasis) and mispronouncing the vowel in the second syllable as a clear ‘a’ instead of a weak schwa. Another error is turning the final ‘tors’ into ‘tours’ or adding an extra syllable. Correct by preserving a strong first syllable CHEL, a reduced second syllable /ɪ/ or /ə/, and finishing with the /z/ sound. Use the IPA cues /ˈkɛlɪˌtɔrz/ (US) and rehearse with minimal pairs to smooth the transition.
In US English, stress on the first syllable with /ˈkɛlɪˌtɔrz/. UK/AU commonly maintain the same stress pattern but the final /ɔː/ tends toward a longer open-o sound in non-rhotic accents, and the final /z/ may be devoiced in slower speech. Rhotic US speakers pronounce the final /r/ more clearly in connected speech before a vowel, while UK tends to drop postvocalic r. Overall, the vowel in the second/third syllable and the final sonority of /z/ can vary slightly: US tends toward /ɔrz/ or /ɔːz/ depending on speaker, UK may lengthen the /ɔː/.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic cadence and dental-alveolar sequence: the transition from /l/ to /ɪ/ to /t/ requires careful tongue positioning and a quick shift from a lightly rounded to a more open vowel. The syllable boundary can mislead learners into misplacing stress or inserting an extra syllable. The final /z/ can be devoiced in some accents, causing mispronunciation as /s/. Focus on preserving CHEL- as a heavy initial beat, a reduced middle vowel, and a crisp final /z/.
No. Each phoneme in Chelators is pronounced in all standard varieties: CHEL (with a clear /l/), a reduced /ɪ/ or /ə/ in the middle, and -tors with a voiced final /z/. The key is maintaining the secondary stress to produce a natural flow in scientific narration, ensuring the sequence /ˈkɛlɪˌtɔrz/ remains intact in connected speech.
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US: rhotic; keep /r/ neutral in connected speech and keep final /z/ voiced. UK/AU: nonrhotic; postvocalic /r/ is not pronounced; longer /ɔː/ or /ɔ/ in some speakers; maintain /z/ clarity. Vowel quality: US tends to /ɔrz/ versus UK /ɔːz/; mouth positions shift slightly with jaw openness. For all: ensure the /l/ is light, the /t/ is quick, and the final /z/ is crisp and audible. IPA references: US: ˈkɛlɪˌtɔrz; UK/AU: ˈkɛləˌtɔːz.
Chelator derives from the root chelat- from the Medieval Latin chelāt-, equivalent to chel- meaning a claw or lip of a necklace or clasp, combined with the agent-suffix -er denoting a person or thing that performs an action. The idea is to bind metals through multiple donor atoms to form a stable ring (chelate). The root chelat- appears in alchemy and late 19th-century chemistry. The term gained prominence in coordination chemistry and biochemistry as scientists described molecules capable of binding metal ions through two or more donor atoms (e.g., nitrogens, oxygens) forming chelate rings. First used in scientific literature in the context of complex formation and metal sequestration in the early 20th century, its usage expanded with clinical applications (lead poisoning treatment) and industrial chemistry, where chelators stabilize metal ions in solution or catalysis. Modern usage spans medical, environmental, and industrial chemistry, with variants like EDTA chelators and siderophores describing natural ligands produced by organisms to acquire iron. The word’s evolution reflects a shift from a general “binding” concept to a precise, multidentate coordination concept central to metal ion chemistry and biochemistry.
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Words that rhyme with "Chelators"
-ers sounds
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