4 syllables: Me, per, i, dine. Stress on i.
mep-ur-RID-een
/ˌmɛpɚˈrɪdiːn/
Meperidine is pronounced mep-ur-RID-een (/ˌmɛpɚˈrɪdiːn/). It has four syllables (Me-per-i-dine), with the stress on "i". Meperidine is a synthetic opioid analgesic used to treat moderate to severe pain. It acts on the central nervous system to dull pain signals and produces sedation and euphoria. The term combines a medicinal prefix with the “pyridine” suffix, reflecting its chemical structure and pharmacological class.
nounMeperidine is a synthetic opioid analgesic used to treat moderate to severe pain. It acts on the central nervous system to dull pain signals and produces sedation and euphoria. The term combines a medicinal prefix with the “pyridine” suffix, reflecting its chemical structure and pharmacological class.
How to Pronounce Meperidine
"The patient was prescribed meperidine after the painful procedure."
"Meperidine can cause dizziness and nausea, so monitor patients closely."
"During the trial, the team compared meperidine with other analgesics for efficacy."
Meperidine is pronounced me-PER-i-dine with stress on the third syllable: /ˌmɛpəˈriːdiːn/. Break it as me-per-i-dine, pausing lightly between syllables. In US and UK dictionaries you’ll see the same primary stress on the '-ri-' part, with the vowel sounds as in MEH-puh-REE-deen. If you’re new to this, practice saying it slowly: me-PE-ri-deen, then speed up while keeping the stress-aligned rhythm. Listening to medical diction sources can help you hear the '-ri-' emphasis clearly.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing primary stress on me- or di- rather than -ri-), and mispronouncing the 'ri' as a short 'ri' like rider instead of 'REE' as in refugee. Another frequent issue is blending 'pe' and 'ri' into a slurred sequence, making it sound like 'me-PER-idin' or 'ME-pee-ri-deen'. Correct by isolating syllables: me- per- i- dine, ensuring the 'ri' part carries a long 'ee' vowel and the final 'dine' ends with a clear 'neen' sound. Practice with slow repetition and listen-and-repeat drills from medical pronunciation resources.
Across accents, the core sequence me-per-i-dine stays, but vowel quality shifts: US/UK tend toward a short 'e' in the first syllable (MEH-puh-REE-deen), with a longer 'EE' in the third syllable, while some Australian speakers may produce a slightly tighter 'ee' in -ri- and a softer final 'ne'. Rhoticity can affect the preceding syllable's vowel quality in some speakers, but Meperidine remains non-rhotic in British pronunciation; Americans often articulate a subtle rhotic linkage in rapid speech. Overall, the main difference is vowel length and the crispness of the 'ri' as 'REE' rather than a shorter 'ri'.
The difficulty comes from the cluster me-per-i-dine with a multi-syllabic, high-frequency medical term where stress lands on the third syllable (-ri-). The 'ri' vowel sounds are distinctive: a long 'ee' in many varieties, which can be mispronounced as a short 'i'. The consonant sequence may blur in fast speech, and non-native speakers often misplace stress or mis-segment the word, saying 'ME-pee-ri-dine' or 'ME-per-i-deen'. Focus on clear syllable demarcation, keep the 'ri' syllable prominent, and use precise IPA cues to anchor your mouth positions.
Meperidine has no silent letters; all four syllables are enunciated in standard pronunciation. The challenge lies in the stressed middle syllable and the long 'ee' vowel in 'ri-deen'. Some speakers may de-emphasize the -ri- or shorten it in rapid speech, effectively turning /ˌmɛpəˈriːdiːn/ into something closer to /ˌmɛpəˈriːdən/. Being aware of maintaining full syllable articulation and the 'ri' vowel ensures accuracy, especially in clinical communication.
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Meperidine derives from the prefix 'me-' (often used in medicinal chemistry nomenclature) and the chemical suffix '-peridine', which itself traces to the pyridine ring structure central to its molecule. The name aligns with other analgesics in the piperidine/pyridine family and was coined in the 20th century during pharmaceutical development of synthetic opioid analgesics. The root 'pyridine' indicates a nitrogen-containing aromatic ring, characteristic of several analgesic compounds, while the 'mep-' element mirrors systematic organic naming conventions used to indicate substituents on the core ring. First usage in medical literature appeared in the 1930s–1950s as synthetic opioids were expanding beyond naturally derived morphine products. Over time, the brand and generic names settled, with Meperidine (also historically marketed as Demerol in some regions) becoming a common, though increasingly scrutinized, component of postoperative pain regimens. The term’s evolution mirrors broader pharmacological shifts toward rapid-onset, short-acting analgesics and later, careful consideration of neurotoxic and serotonergic interactions associated with certain metabolites and drug interactions. Its pronunciation and spelling stabilized in professional communication as medical dictionaries and pharmacology texts standardized the name across languages and regions.
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Words that rhyme with "Meperidine"
-ine sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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