4 syllables: Mi, so, pro, stol. Stress on pro.
mis-uh-PROH-stawl
/mɪsəˈproʊstɔl/
Misoprostol is pronounced mis-uh-PROH-stawl (/mɪsəˈproʊstɔl/). It has four syllables (Mi-so-pro-stol), with the stress on "pro". Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue used to prevent gastric ulcers in NSAID users and to induce labor or abortion in specific clinical settings. It is typically administered orally or vaginally in medical protocols and is discussed in obstetrics, gynecology, and gastroenterology. Its pronunciation is often unfamiliar outside medical contexts, making precise articulation important for clear communication.
nounMisoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue used to prevent gastric ulcers in NSAID users and to induce labor or abortion in specific clinical settings. It is typically administered orally or vaginally in medical protocols and is discussed in obstetrics, gynecology, and gastroenterology. Its pronunciation is often unfamiliar outside medical contexts, making precise articulation important for clear communication.
- Misplacing primary stress on the first or second syllable; correction: rehearse mi-SO-prostol with the main emphasis on prostol, using slow, isolated syllables before chaining them. - Slurring the /pr/ onset or merging /r/ into the following vowel; correction: practice with minimal pairs mi-SO-pro/stol, emphasize the abrupt /pr/ release. - Vocalic shifts in unstressed syllables; correction: maintain a reduced schwa in the mi/so syllables consistent with your accent while keeping prostol strong.
"The physician prescribed misoprostol to reduce the risk of NSAID-related gastric ulcers."
"During the procedure, misoprostol was given to induce labor under close medical supervision."
"Misoprostol is sometimes used in combination with other drugs for medical abortion."
Misoprostol is pronounced mi-SO-pro-stol with primary stress on the third syllable. IPA (US): ˌmɪ-soʊˈprɒstɒl. Break it into syllables: mi - so - prostol, with the s in prostol clearly enunciated. The initial /m/ is bilabial, /ɪ/ is short, /soʊ/ has a long o sound, and /ˈprɒ/ features an open back rounded vowel. In careful medical speech you’ll emphasize prostol’s first consonant cluster /pr/ without slurring. Audio references: consult a medical pronunciation resource or Forvo entry for misoprostol to hear native speaker renditions.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing primary stress on mi or so instead of prostol) and muddling the /ɒ/ in prostol with /ɑː/. Also, some speakers blend /prɔ/ into /proʊ/ or mispronounce the final -ol as -all. Correction tips: practice mi-SO-prost-ol, keeping the /ˈpr/ cluster crisp; use a slow pace to articulate /pr/ and the final /stol/ as a clear /stɒl/ or /stɔːl/ depending on accent. Listen to native medical speakers for reference and mimic one clean, deliberate pronounciation per repetition.
In US and UK, final -ol often ends with a clear /ɒl/ or /ɔːl/ depending on syllable-timed rhythm; rhoticity affects the initial /ɪ/ quality slightly. Australian speakers may lean toward a flatter vowel in /ɒ/ and slight vowel reduction in unstressed syllables. Stress typically remains on the third syllable: mi-SO-prostol. IPA references: US ˌmɪ-soʊˈprɒ-stɒl; UK ˌmɪ-sə-ˈprɒ-stɒl; AU roughly ˌmi-soˈstɒl with minor vowel shifts.
The difficulty comes from the multi-syllabic prostol segment with a tricky /pr/ onset and the final /stol/ cluster, which in some dialects reduces to /stəl/ or /stoʊl/. The combination of /ˌmɪ-soʊ/ versus /ˌmɪ-sə-/ and the stressed prostol demands precise tongue blade elevation for /p r/ and the alveolar /t/ to avoid a slur. Practice that separation: mi-so-prostol, slow, deliberate, then speed up while maintaining clarity.
Focus on the /pr/ cluster in prostol and the final /stol/ ending. The blend between /r/ and /t/ should be crisp without introducing extra vowels. Ensure the primary stress falls on prostol, not mi or so. IPA anchors: US ˌmɪ-soʊˈprɒstɒl; UK ˌmɪ-sə-ˈprɒ-stɒl. Working on keeping the /ˌ/ secondary stress smooth in multi-syllable medical terms helps with overall fluency.
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- US vs UK vs AU: in US you may hear a tighter /ɪ/ in mi and a strong rhotic vowel tendency in surrounding words; UK tends toward non-rhoticity with clearer /ɒ/ in prostol; AU often reduces unstressed vowels more and features a flatter /ɒ/ or /ɔː/ depending on region. IPA references: US ˌmɪ-soʊˈprɒstɒl; UK ˌmɪ-sə-ˈprɒ-stɒl; AU ˌmiː-sə-ˈprɒ-stɔːl. Focus on crisp /pr/ and final /stol/.
Misoprostol derives from the pharmacological naming convention of prostaglandin E1 analogues. The prefix “miso-” often signals hatred or hatred-like derivations in Greek, but in drug naming it more likely reflects a transliteration without a direct semantic link to miso. The root prostol clearly aligns with prostaglandin analogues, where prost- references the prostaglandin class and -ol is a common pharmaceutical suffix. The first use of misoprostol appeared in late 1980s pharmacology literature as researchers developed safer regimens of NSAID co-therapy. Its international adoption followed standard regulatory approvals in the 1990s, primarily for ulcer prevention and obstetric indications. The name itself has become a stable, widely recognized term in medical communities, though it remains unfamiliar to non-specialists. Over time, as guidelines evolved and combinatorial regimens were refined, the term Misoprostol has retained its pronunciation and spelling, with pharmacies and clinics consistently using the standard form across languages and regions.
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Words that rhyme with "Misoprostol"
-tal sounds
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