3 syllables: Me, cli, zine. Stress on Me.
MEK-liz-een
/ˈmɛklɪˌziːn/
Meclizine is pronounced MEK-liz-een (/ˈmɛklɪˌziːn/). It has three syllables (Me-cli-zine), with the stress on "Me". Meclizine is a prescription antihistamine used to prevent nausea, vomiting, and dizziness from motion sickness or vertigo. It works by suppressing the vestibular system’s response. Commonly sold under brand names, it is typically taken orally in tablet form and can cause drowsiness or dry mouth as side effects.
nounMeclizine is a prescription antihistamine used to prevent nausea, vomiting, and dizziness from motion sickness or vertigo. It works by suppressing the vestibular system’s response. Commonly sold under brand names, it is typically taken orally in tablet form and can cause drowsiness or dry mouth as side effects.
- Mix-up of syllable stress: you’ll typically hear people say me-CLIZ-ine; ensure you keep second syllable stressed. - Substituting /z/ with a /s/ or soft /ʒ/ sound, especially in rapid speech; keep a clear /z/ before the /iːn/. - Final vowel length: avoid collapsing /ziːn/ into a short /zin/; hold the long /iː/ so it lands as 'zine'.
"I took meclizine before the long flight to prevent motion sickness."
"The doctor prescribed meclizine for his vertigo symptoms last week."
"She asked if meclizine would cause morning grogginess during treatment."
Pronunciation: me-CLI-zine. Stress falls on the second syllable: /ˌmɛkˈlɪziːn/. Break it into mee-CLI-zine, with a soft, quick 'ee' in the first syllable and a clear 'lizine' ending. The 'cliz' part uses a light 'l' blend.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing the stress on the first syllable as me-CLIZ-ine; correct it to the secondary stress on the second syllable: me-CLIZ-ine. 2) Slurring the 'cl' into a hard 'k' or 't' so it sounds like 'mek-liz-ine' rather than 'mek-CLIZ-een'. 3) Ending with a long 'ee-n' rather than the long 'een' /ziːn/, ensure ending is zine.
US/UK/AU share /ˌmɛkˈlɪziːn/ but vowels and rhoticity shift slightly. US tends toward rhotic pronunciation with a more retroflex 'r' in connected speech, UK often uses a crisper, non-rhotic finish in careful speech, and AU tends to a slightly longer final vowel with a touch more vowel length. IPA remains similar: US /ˌmɛkˈlɪziːn/, UK /ˌmɛkˈlɪzɪːn/, AU /ˌmɛkˈlɪzːiːn/.
Difficulties arise from the cluster 'cliz' where a consonant blend sits next to a vowel, the long 'ee' or 'een' ending, and the multi-syllabic rhythm with secondary stress. Also, the unfamiliar prefix 'Me-' can prompt pronunciation errors if speakers expect a more common 'met-'. The correct articulation requires a crisp /klɪz/ sequence and a clear final /iːn/.
A unique challenge is sustaining the long vowel sound in the final syllable while maintaining a clear 'z' followed by the 'ine' ending. Some speakers compress the final /ziːn/ into a shorter /zniːn/ or misplace the emphasis. Focus on keeping /ziːn/ distinct from /zɪn/ by prolonging the high front vowel and ensuring the tongue stays near the alveolar ridge for a precise /z/ before /iːn/.
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- US: rhotic, with a pronounced R in connected speech; aim for /ˌmɛkˈlɪziːn/ and let the /ɪ/ be crisp. - UK: often more clipped vowel quality, /ˌmekˈlɪzɪːn/ with slightly shorter final /iːn/ and less rhotic influence in careful speech. - AU: tends toward a slightly broader vowel quality and a more even rhythm, with the final /iːn/ length maintained; watch for a subtle elongation and slight background vowels.
Meclizine derives from a chemical naming tradition for antihistamines. The root includes the prefix mez- or me-, connected with chemical substituents, and -izine, a common suffix for certain antihistamines derived from piperazine-based structures. The term likely entered pharmacology nomenclature in the mid-20th century as more selective antiemetics and antivertigo agents were developed, aligning with drugs like cyclizine and cinnarizine. Its first known uses appear in mid-century medical literature when doctors categorized new antihistamines with vestibular-suppressive properties. Over time, Meclizine became a widely recognized generic name, with brand comrades such as Antivert popular in North America. The evolution reflects the broader trend of repurposing antihistamines for motion sickness and inner-ear related dizziness, while the chemical name remains a mouthful in everyday usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Meclizine" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Meclizine"
-ine sounds
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