3 syllables: de, methyl, ase. Stress on methyl.
/dɪˈmɛθələɪz/
Say it backDemethylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the removal of a methyl group (–CH3) from a molecule. It functions in various biological pathways, often regulating gene expression or metabolic processes by demethylating substrates. The term combines ‘de-’ with ‘methyl’ and the enzyme suffix ‘-ase,’ signaling its catalytic role in demethylation processes.
- Common phonetic challenges: correct 'th' in methyl- requires a dental fricative; keep the 'e' in methyl unstressed; final '-ase' is /eɪz/, not /æs/. - Focus on syllable boundaries: de-METH-ə-lase, avoid running 'meth' and 'yə' together too tightly; let the -lase glide. - Pay attention to voicing: ensure the 'd' initial is a clear alveolar stop rather than a flap.
"The study identified a novel demethylase that targets histone marks."
"Researchers inhibited the demethylase to assess changes in gene expression."
"Demethylase activity was measured by the rate of formaldehyde release."
Pronounce as de-METH-ə-lase with IPA: US dɪˈmɛθəˌleɪz, UK dɪˈmɛθəˌleɪz, AU dəˈmɛθəˌleɪz. Put main stress on the second syllable, connect -ase closely to -demethyl- so the final sounds blend: de-METH-ə-lase. Start with a light 'd' then 'eh' as in ‘bet’, then 'meth' with a soft 'th' as in 'the', end with 'uh-layz'.”,
Common errors: misplacing the stress and mispronouncing the -ase as a separate, emphasized syllable. Another frequent mistake is saying ‘de-METH-il-lase’ with a short i in ‘methyl’ instead of a schwa in -ləze. Correction: keep the second syllable as a clear, secondary stress: de-METH-ə-lase, and pronounce the final -ase as /leɪz/, not /læs/. Check that the 'th' is voiced (θ) rather than a d or t sound.
In US/UK/AU, the primary consonants are similar, but vowel quality shifts. US often uses a rhotic r-less trailing? Actually demethylase ends with /leɪz/ and the
It combines a few challenging phonemes: the 'd' onset, the 'methyl' cluster with a voiced th (θ) between the t and h, and the final /leɪz/ with a long a. The
Is there a stress shift when used as a compound stem? Typically demethylase keeps the stress on the 'METH' syllable, but compounds can cause slight rebalancing in rapid speech. If you say de-METH-ə-lase, you maintain the secondary stress naturally, and the final syllable remains light.
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- US: rhoticity is not central to this word, but you’ll hear a clear /ɪ/ in ‘demethyl-’. Vowel qualities: /ɪ/ in de; /ɛ/ in meth; /ə/ in -ə-; final /eɪ/ is a long vowel. - UK: slight diphthong adjustments, keep /ɪ/ similar, /eɪ/ slightly taller; - AU: vowel heights align with UK, often softer intonation, ensure non-rhotic trailing. IPA references: /dɪˈmɛθəˌleɪz/ US, /dɪˈmɛθəˌleɪz/ UK, /dəˈmɛθəˌleɪz/ AU only minor vowel shifts.
Demethylase derives from the prefix de- meaning removal, combined with methyl, the chemical group CH3, and the suffix -ase used to name enzymes. The de- prefix signals reversal or removal, dating back to Latin de- from dis- to negate or undo. Methyl comes from the Greek methy- via chemical nomenclature for the methyl radical, adopted into English in the 19th and 20th centuries as organic chemistry matured. The assembly of -ase to indicate an enzyme was established in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, with the suffix becoming a standard way to name catalytic biomolecules (proteases, kinases, demethylases). First known use of the exact combined term in scientific literature appears in the late 20th century as epigenetics and chromatin biology highlighted histone demethylation as a regulatory mechanism. The word therefore spans general chemical nomenclature and specialized biochemistry, reflecting a precise catalytic function rather than a generic metabolic step.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "demethylase" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "demethylase"
-ase sounds
-ace sounds
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