Endorphins are natural brain chemicals that act as painkillers and mood elevators, released in response to exercise, pain, or stress. They function as neurotransmitters, binding to opioid receptors to reduce pain perception and induce feelings of well-being. In everyday use, the term typically refers to this class of endogenous peptides affecting emotion and physical sensation.
"Regular aerobic workouts can trigger endorphin release, often described as a ‘runner’s high.’"
"During acupuncture or intense breathing exercises, some people report an increase in endorphins."
"Researchers study endorphins to understand how exercise improves mood and pain tolerance."
"In medical contexts, drugs that mimic endorphins or block their receptors help manage pain."
Endorphins derives from the contraction of end- (meaning within, within the body) and -orphin from morphine, implying a natural morphine-like substance produced inside the body. The term was coined in the 1970s following the discovery that the brain creates opioid-like peptides. “Endo-” signals internal origin, while “-orphin” echoes morphine’s pharmacological class, reflecting functional similarity to narcotics without external intake. The first known uses appeared in scientific literature around 1975–1976 as researchers identified endogenous peptides with opioid activity. Over time, the word broadened to include multiple peptide families such as beta-endorphin, enkephalins, and dynorphins, though “endorphin” is often used generically. The etymology reflects a period of rapid discovery in neurochemistry, coordinating linguistic roots from Greek endon (inside) and Greek mophein (to form), fused with the familiar morphine suffix to communicate both source and effect. In modern medical and popular discourse, endorphins are discussed in contexts from exercise science to stress resilience, maintaining the implication of internal, natural analgesia and mood modulation.
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Words that rhyme with "Endorphins"
-ins sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as en-DOR-fins with stress on the second syllable. In IPA US/UK/AU: US /ɛnˈdɔr.fɪnz/, UK /ɛnˈdɔː.fɪnz/, AU /ɛnˈdɔː.fɪnz/. Start with a short schwa-like initial /ə/ feel before the stressed syllable, but in practice it’s /ɛn/ then the stressed /ˈdɔr/ (US) or /ˈdɔː/ (UK/AU), and end with /fɪnz/. Keep the r-coloring light in non-rhotic accents. Audio reference: you’ll hear a clear secondary consonant cluster “-dor-” before the final “-phins.”
Common errors: 1) Placing stress on the first syllable as in en-DOR-fins; correction: stress the second syllable: en-DOR-fins. 2) Substituting /ɔː/ with /ɒ/ or a lax vowel in the second syllable; correction: use a tense, mid back vowel /ɔː/ (US /ɔr/ before /f/). 3) Pronouncing the final -ins as /ɪnz/ instead of /inz/ or misproducing the /f/ by rounding the lips too much. Correction: keep /f/ as a labiodental fricative, then /nz/ at the end quickly. Practice with minimal pairs: order/endorphin to hear the middle vowel length and rhoticity.
In US English, /ɛnˈdɔr.fɪnz/ with rhotic /r/ in the stressed syllable. UK/US stress pattern is similar, but UK may have longer /ɔː/ in the second syllable /ˈdɔː/ and less rhotic influence; AU commonly aligns with UK in non-rhotic tendencies but often preserves a clear /ɔː/ sound. The final /nz/ cluster remains consistent. Key: focus on /ɔr/ vs /ɔː/ and rhotic contact in the middle. Listen for a slightly more rounded, longer vowel in UK/AU and a stronger rhotic in US.
Two main phonetic challenges: the middle /dɔr/ cluster with a postvocalic /r/ in rhotic accents and the final consonant cluster /nz/. The /d/ blends into the following /ɔr/ quickly, which can blur syllable boundaries. The /fɪnz/ ending demands precise lip closure for the /f/ and rapid nasal + alveolar /n/ + /z/ consonants. Beginners often misplace stress or mispronounce the vowel in /ɔr/ as /ɔː/ or /ɒ/. Practice by isolating the middle vowel and practicing the /r/ coloring in different accents.
Endorphins ends with the plural 's' pronounced as a voiced /z/ after a voiced consonant vowel sequence, so the ending is /-fɪnz/ rather than /-finz/ or /-fins/. This can lead to hesitation if you expect a /s/ or /z/ depending on neighboring sounds. The question to focus: does the /z/ voice assimilate? No, it remains a clear /z/ sound after the /n/ before the final /z/. IPA reminder: /ɛnˈdɔr.fɪnz/.
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