3 syllables: Mi, to, tic. Stress on to.
meye-TAW-tik
/ˌmaɪˈtɔtɪk/
Mitotic is pronounced meye-TAW-tik (/ˌmaɪˈtɔtɪk/). It has three syllables (Mi-to-tic), with the stress on "to". Mitotic is an adjective describing cell division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells. It pertains to the phase of mitosis where chromosomes are separated. The term is used in biology and medicine to discuss division processes, stages, or abnormalities related to mitosis.
adjectiveMitotic is an adjective describing cell division that results in two genetically identical daughter cells. It pertains to the phase of mitosis where chromosomes are separated. The term is used in biology and medicine to discuss division processes, stages, or abnormalities related to mitosis.
"The scientist observed mitotic figures in the stained tissue sample."
"Mitotic arrest can indicate cellular stress or DNA damage."
"During mitotic metaphase, chromosomes align along the center of the cell."
Mitotic is pronounced mi-TOT-ik, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US /ˌmɪˈtɒtɪk/, UK /ˌmɪˈtəʊtɪk/, AU /ˌmɪˈtɒtɪk/. Start with /mɪ/ as in 'mitt,' then a strong /ˈtɒ/ or /ˈtəʊ/ depending on accent, and finish with /tɪk/. Ensure the middle syllable is clearly stressed, not the first. You can listen to example pronunciations and mimic the rhythm of a science lecture for accuracy.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the second syllable stress: misplacing emphasis on 'mi-.' 2) Using a long 'o' in the first vowel: treat /ɪ/ in /mɪ/. 3) Final -ic pronounced as 'ick' with a hard /k/ after /t/: keep /tɪk/ with a light /t/. Corrections: pronounce /ˌmɪˈtɒtɪk/ or /ˌmɪˈtəʊtɪk/ with accurate vowel quality and a crisp /t/ before /ɪk/. Practice with minimal pairs to fix vowel length and stress.
US typically yields /ˌmɪˈtɒtɪk/ with a dark /ɒ/ and rhotic /r/ not present; UK features /ˌmɪˈtəʊtɪk/ with a clearer /əʊ/ for the second vowel and non-rhotic /r/ absence; AU mirrors UK but with subtle vowel shifts like a more centralized /ə/ in unstressed syllables. Overall stress remains on the second syllable; vowel quality shifts (short /ɒ/ vs /əʊ/ vs /ɒ/). Listen to regional medical lectures to calibrate your ear.
It challenges: 1) balancing the mid-stressed second syllable with accurate vowel length: /ˈtɒ/ vs /ˈtəʊ/; 2) quick transition from /mɪ/ to /tɒ/ or /təʊ/ before /tɪk/; 3) maintaining crisp /t/ before a high front vowel /ɪ/ in the final syllable. Practice the sequence slowly, then speed up while keeping articulation precise. Use IPA as a guide and compare with a native-stemmed biomedical term for reference.
The word emphasizes a mid-second syllable stress with a short, sharp /t/ cluster before the final /ɪk/. It’s easy to misplace stress on the first syllable or to produce a long /oʊ/ in British or American variants. The presence of three syllables with a mid-stressed second syllable makes timing important in scientific narration. IPA-based practice helps anchor the exact vowels and stress.
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Mitotic derives from the Greek mitos, meaning thread or filament, reflecting chromosome threads during cell division, plus the -ic suffix meaning pertaining to. The term emerges from the mid-19th to early-20th century growth of cellular biology as a discipline. Early microscopists described mitosis as a discrete cycle of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. The root mit- relates to thread-like appearance of chromosomes; -osis or -sis suffix indicates a process. First known uses appear in 19th-century texts on cell division, with more precise usage crystallizing as chromosomal behavior during mitosis was better understood in the early 1900s. Over time, mitotic has specialized usage in pathology and oncology to denote anything involving mitosis-specific processes or inhibitors, distinguishing it from meiosis and other cellular divisions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Mitotic" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Mitotic"
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