3 syllables: meth, a, done. Stress on meth.
METH-uh-dohn
/ˈmɛθəˌdoʊn/
methadone is pronounced METH-uh-dohn (/ˈmɛθəˌdoʊn/). It has three syllables (meth-a-done), with the stress on "meth". Methadone is a synthetic opioid used medically for pain relief and opioid replacement therapy. It is typically administered orally and has a long half-life, enabling steady-state dosing. Pronouncing it clearly helps ensure accurate communication in clinical and harm-reduction settings.
Methadone is a synthetic opioid used medically for pain relief and opioid replacement therapy. It is typically administered orally and has a long half-life, enabling steady-state dosing. Pronouncing it clearly helps ensure accurate communication in clinical and harm-reduction settings.
"The clinic uses methadone as part of the opioid use disorder program."
"Patients should take methadone exactly as prescribed to avoid withdrawal symptoms."
"Some people experience drowsiness after taking methadone, so avoid driving initially."
Break it as men-til? No—it's meTHA-done with three syllables: /ˌmɛθəˈdoʊn/ in US English or /ˌmɛθəˈdoʊn/ in UK/AU; primary stress on the second syllable ‘do’ as in a.doh-n. Start with /m/ then /ɛ/ (as in 'bed'), then /θ/ (the voiceless th as in 'think'), then schwa /ə/, then /d/ and the long /oʊ/ vowel. Keep the final /n/ clear. Accentual emphasis on the second syllable helps avoid mispronunciations like ‘methad-own’.
Common errors: mixing up the third syllable as 'meth-ADD-on' by stressing the wrong syllable; pronouncing the ending as a short /ən/ instead of /oʊn/. Correct by: placing primary stress on the second syllable /doʊn/ and ensuring the final vowel is a long /oʊ/ followed by a clear nasal /n/. Also avoid dumbing the /θ/ to /s/ or /z/ in rapid speech—keep the voiceless dental fricative sharp.
In US, US vowels favor /ˌmɛθəˈdoʊn/ with clear /ɔɪ/? Not here; it’s /ˌmɛθəˈdoʊn/. UK/AU variants keep the same syllable structure but may slightly reduce the vowel in /ə/ and the rhoticity may be less pronounced in non-rhotic varieties, so final /n/ is consistent. Overall, the main difference is vowel quality subtly shifting: US tends to fuller /doʊn/; UK/AU may have a shorter /oʊ/ diphthong and a marginally lighter /ə/.
It combines a voiceless dental fricative /θ/ with a multisyllabic build and a long final vowel /oʊ/. The stress pattern centers on the second syllable, which can cause people to misplace emphasis. The audience may mispronounce as ‘meth-add-ohn’ or ‘meth-a-done’. Practice by isolating the /θ/ articulation, then sequence through syllables with emphasis on /doʊn/. Recording helps compare to the reference.
The root of difficulty is both the dental fricative /θ/ and the long vowel /oʊ/ in the final syllable, making it easy to glide into /tən/ or /doʊn/ without separating syllables. Remember the second syllable carries primary stress, and the /θ/ should be clearly enunciated before the /ə/ transition. Place your tongue tip gently on the upper front teeth and push air through for the /θ/ sound.
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Methadone derives from meth- (indicating a chemical modification related to methamphetamine in some early naming conventions, though unrelated pharmacologically) combined with the -one suffix common to opioids (like codeine or morphine) to denote a ketone-containing, opioid-like structure. The compound was developed in the 1930s by German chemists, with its analgesic properties discovered in the 1940s. The name methadone entered English medical usage in the mid-20th century as it transitioned from a laboratory chemical to a clinically used opioid agonist. The term consolidated through pharmaceutical literature and regulatory references as methadone, distinguishing it from other synthetic opioids by its specific chemical backbone and therapeutic indications. First known usage appears in medical journals and patent literature of the 1940s–1950s, with widespread clinical adoption by the 1960s-70s in methadone maintenance programs.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "methadone" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "methadone"
-one sounds
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