4 syllables: Hy, per, i, cum. Stress on i.
heye-puh-RIK-yoom
/ˌhaɪ.pəˈrɪ.kjuːm/
Hypericum is pronounced heye-puh-RIK-yoom (/ˌhaɪ.pəˈrɪ.kjuːm/). It has four syllables (Hy-per-i-cum), with the stress on "i". Hypericum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae, commonly known as St. John’s wort. The term refers to shrubs and herbs with bright yellow flowers, historically used in herbal medicine. In botany and pharmacology, Hypericum denotes the group of species studied for medicinal properties and horticultural interest.
nounHypericum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae, commonly known as St. John’s wort. The term refers to shrubs and herbs with bright yellow flowers, historically used in herbal medicine. In botany and pharmacology, Hypericum denotes the group of species studied for medicinal properties and horticultural interest.
How to Pronounce Hypericum
"The gardener planted Hypericum near the path to brighten the border with vibrant yellow blooms."
"She researched Hypericum to understand its traditional use in treating mood disorders."
"Markets offer Hypericum extracts touted for their potential antidepressant effects, though evidence varies."
Hypericum is pronounced hi-PAIR-ih-kum with the primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌhaɪˈpɪr.ɪ.kəm/ (US/UK/AU). Start with a clear “hi” /haɪ/, then the mid syllable /ˈpɪr/ followed by “i” /ɪ/ and a final “kum” /kəm/. In careful speech, the syllables are evenly timed, with a light reduction on the unstressed final syllables. For quick, natural speech you’ll often hear /ˌhaɪˈpɪrɪ.kəm/ without a strong Italianate ending, but the preferred articulation retains three distinct vowel centers.
Common errors include misplacing stress (accenting the first syllable instead of the third), reducing the middle /ɪ/ to a schwa /ə/ too early, and merging the final /kəm/ into /kəmn/ or /kʌm/. Correction tips: emphasize the third syllable with sustained /ˈpɪr/ and keep the final /kəm/ distinct, avoiding an extra vowel or nasal at the end. Practice slow, then speed up while maintaining the three clear segments.
Across US/UK/AU, the core pattern /ˌhaɪˈpɪrɪ.kəm/ remains, but vowel timing and rhoticity adjust slightly. US and UK share rhoticity; in some US speech /ˌhaɪˈpɪrɪkəm/ may be heard with a lighter /ɪ/ in the second syllable and a shorter final /kəm/. UK speakers may produce crisper alveolar /r/ less strongly in non-rhotic contexts, influencing /ˈpɪr/ sound. Australian may feature slightly broader vowels and a more clipped final /kəm/. Use precise IPA to anchor accurate production in all variants.
The difficulty lies in the sequence of three syllables with a mid-stressed second-to-last pattern and a final unstressed /kəm/. The /ɪ/ in the second syllable can be reduced or shifted toward a schwa, and the /r/ in /pɪr/ can be rhotically variable depending on the speaker. Additionally, the compound feel of a long vowel onset /haɪ/ followed by a non-stressed syllable challenges steady pacing. Practicing with syllable-timed cadence helps stabilize the rhythm.
Yes—stress placement and the three distinct syllables demand careful division: hi- PER-i-cum, with primary stress on the penultimate or antepenultimate depending on dialect, but most standard pronunciations favor the /ˈpɪr/ segment as a prominent syllable. The initial /haɪ/ is a clear diphthong, and the final /kəm/ should be light and clipped, avoiding an over-emphasized “um.” Remember the middle /ɪ/ can approach /ɪ/ or a weaker vowel in fluent speech.
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Hypericum derives from the Late Latin Hypericum, itself from the Greek hyperikon (uprose, over a thing), from hyper (over) and eikon (image, likeness). The term entered botanical Latin to designate the genus that includes many species with bright, often yellow flowers. The name likely reflected historical associations with sacred or medicinal uses, as St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) has long been tied to protective and healing symbolism. In classical and medieval texts, the genus was linked to protective charms and folk remedies; later European herbalists formalized the genus in botanical nomenclature during the 16th–18th centuries, aligning common names with scientific organization. Over time, Hypericum gained prominence in pharmacology due to compounds like hypericin and hyperforin, which spurred ethnobotanical and clinical interest while maintaining its ornamental and horticultural significance. Today, Hypericum remains a widely recognized genus in both botanical research and herbal medicine, with species distributed globally in temperate regions and cultivated in gardens for aesthetic and potential therapeutic value.
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Words that rhyme with "Hypericum"
-cum sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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