5 syllables: Hy, os, cy, am, ine. Stress on cy.
heye-ahs-SEYE-am-een
/haɪ ɑs ˈsaɪ æm iːn/
Hyoscyamine is pronounced heye-ahs-SEYE-am-een (/haɪ ɑs ˈsaɪ æm iːn/). It has five syllables (Hy-os-cy-am-ine), with the stress on "cy". Hyoscyamine is a plant-derived anticholinergic tropane alkaloid used medically to relieve cramps and spasm in the gastrointestinal tract and to dilate pupils. As a chemical name and drug ingredient, it occurs in preparations alongside other tropane alkaloids. It is pronounced as a clinical term in pharmacology and may be encountered in pharmaceutical labels and medical literature.
nounHyoscyamine is a plant-derived anticholinergic tropane alkaloid used medically to relieve cramps and spasm in the gastrointestinal tract and to dilate pupils. As a chemical name and drug ingredient, it occurs in preparations alongside other tropane alkaloids. It is pronounced as a clinical term in pharmacology and may be encountered in pharmaceutical labels and medical literature.
"The patient received hyoscyamine to reduce bowel spasm during the exam."
"Hyoscyamine is often combined with belladonna in older antispasmodic formulations."
"The lab report identified hyoscyamine as one of the active constituents."
/ˌhaɪ.ɒs.saɪˈæmiːn/ (US/UK/AU). Primary stress falls on the fourth syllable - CY- in the sequence hyos-CY-a-min e— with secondary stress on the first two syllables in slower speech. Break it as hi-OS-zy-AM-een, emphasizing the /æ/ in -amine and the long /iː/ at the end. In practice, you’ll hear it as hi-OS-sye-AM-een with a clear final /iːn/. Audio resources: pharmacology glossaries and medical diction recordings will reflect the same IPA. Practice by recording yourself and comparing to IPA guidance.
Common errors: misplacing stress (shifting to HY-os-zy-a-MINE), mispronouncing the /ɒ/ as /ɔː/ or conflating /æ/ with /eɪ/ in -amine. Another frequent mistake is shortening the final -ine to -ine with a clipped /iː/, or pronouncing hyos as hi-oss instead of hi-OS. Correction: ensure the primary stress on the third syllable (CY), pronounce /ɒ/ as a short, rounded vowel after hi, keep /æ/ in Americ- or /iː/ at the end, and maintain a light, clear /n/ followed by the long /iːn/.
In US, UK, and AU, the overall IPA remains /ˌhaɪ.ɒs.saɪˈæmiːn/. The main differences are vowel quality and flapping tendencies in US; the /ɒ/ might be realized closer to /ɒ/ in British accents with slightly tighter /æ/ in the -amine. Australian speakers may merge or reduce final syllables in casual speech, but in medical contexts you keep full syllables. Rhoticity does not change stress location, but linked speech may affect the /ɒs/ sequence, with UK sometimes separating the syllables more distinctly.
This term combines a rare plant-derived trigger word with a long chemical tail: three open syllables before a stressed -amine. The /ɒ/ vowel followed by /s/ and /sy/ can trip listeners, while the -amine ending features a long /iːn/ that is easy to shorten in fast speech. Additionally, the occurrence of the hyos- prefix is uncommon outside pharmacology, so unfamiliar readers may misplace stress or mispronounce the /æ/ in -amine. Focus on the three stable head sounds and the final /iːn/ to stabilize pronunciation.
Unique query: Hyoscyamine contains the sequence /saɪ/ before the stressed syllable, which can tempt speakers to lengthen or misplace the stress. The correct rhythm is hi-OS- sy- AM-een, with the long vowel in -amine and a crisp, non-rolled /r/ or /l/ in some accents that do not occur here. Pay attention to the ɒ in the second syllable, which is short and rounded, and ensure the /æ/ in the stressed syllable remains distinct from the following /iː/.
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Hyoscyamine derives from the plant genus Hyoscyamus (henbane), from which the major tropane alkaloids were first isolated. The term mechanically fuses the plant name with the chemical suffix -amine, indicating an amine within the molecule. The word entered English pharmacology in the 19th-20th centuries as scientists classified plant-derived alkaloids by functional groups. Hyoscyamine is the levo- form of atropine’s chemical pair, historically distinguished in medical chemistry as a potent antimuscarinic. First identified in botanical extracts used in folk medicine, its systematic isolation and naming progressed with the development of modern pharmacology, making hyoscyamine an established drug ingredient by the early 20th century and frequently discussed in pharmacopoeias and drug monographs since then.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Hyoscyamine" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Hyoscyamine"
-ine sounds
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