Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in several brain areas, notably the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra. It acts as a chemical messenger involved in reward, motivation, and motor control. In everyday use, the term often refers to its role in pleasure and reinforcement, as well as to medications and disorders related to dopamine signaling.
"Her doctor prescribed a dopamine agonist to help with Parkinson’s symptoms."
"Researchers study dopamine levels to understand addiction and reward processing."
"Exercise and certain foods can influence dopamine release in the brain."
"The film highlighted how dopamine fuels motivation and goal-directed behavior."
Dopamine is formed from the chemical name 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine, which describes its core structure: a phenethylamine backbone with two hydroxyl groups. The term combines “dihydroxy” (two hydroxyl groups) and “phenethylamine” (a benzene ring attached to an ethylamine chain), indicating a catecholamine with an amine group. The suffix -amine indicates an amine compound. The word entered scientific vocabulary in the early 20th century as biochemists began detailing neurotransmitters; its specific identification as a central nervous system neurotransmitter occurred mid-century with work on catecholamines. The modern usage expanded to pharmacology and psychology as understanding of reward pathways grew. The first known publications naming dopamine in its current context emerged in the 1950s-1960s during investigations into dopamine’s role in movement disorders and reward signaling, with increasing clinical relevance in Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and addiction models.
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Words that rhyme with "Dopamine"
-one sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as doh-PAH-meen in US and UK; stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /doʊˈpeɪmɪn/, UK /dəʊˈpeɪmɪn/, AU /doˈpeɪmɪn/. Notice the second syllable carries main emphasis, and the o-sound in the first syllable is a long diphthong in US/UK; the final -ine sounds as -meen. Mouth positions: start with a light /d/, glide into /oʊ/ or /əʊ/, emphasize /peɪ/ with a firm bilabial start, then end with /mɪn/ or /miːn/ depending on accent.
Common errors: (1) Stress on the first syllable as do-PA-mine or dope-a-meen; correct is do-PA-mein with stress on the second. (2) Pronouncing /eɪ/ as a short /e/ or /iː/ in the middle; keep a clear /eɪ/ as in pay. (3) Ending as /-in/ instead of /-meɪn/ or /-mɪn/; ensure the final vowel is light and the syllable ends with a nasal. Practice by chunking: do + PA + mine, with a brief pause before the final syllable.
US tends to use /doʊˈpeɪmɪn/ with a clear /oʊ/ and /peɪ/; UK often reduces the initial vowel to /dəʊˈpeɪmɪn/, with non-rhotic r-less pronunciation, while AU may blend vowels slightly and preserve /doː/ or /dəʊ/ depending on speaker; overall the stress on the second syllable remains constant; vowel quality and rhoticity influence the first syllable’s vowel realization.
It combines a multi-syllable catecholamine name with a stress on the second syllable and a tricky vowel sequence /oʊ/ and /eɪ/ leading into /mɪn/ or /miːn/. Learners often misplace stress, confuse the /eɪ/ diphthong, or mispronounce the final -mine as /mɪn/ instead of /miːn/. Also, the paleographic spelling can tempt a silent-t or quick ventilation; maintain a crisp /ˈpeɪ/ middle and a light, nasal final.
In dopamine, the ending is pronounced as /mɪn/ (US/UK) or /miːn/ in most dialects, so the ‘ine’ is pronounced with an audible vowel: the ending rhymes with ‘mine’ or ‘mien,’ not silent. The /i/ near the end represents a light vowel; avoid treating the ending as silent or as a simple ’-in’.
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