4 syllables: Mo, lyb, den, um. Stress on lyb.
muh-LIB-din-uhm
/məˈlɪbdɪnəm/
Molybdenum is pronounced muh-LIB-din-uhm (/məˈlɪbdɪnəm/). It has four syllables (Mo-lyb-den-um), with the stress on "lyb". Molybdenum is a hard, silvery metal element with the chemical symbol Mo and atomic number 42. It is essential in modern steel alloys for strength and durability, and occurs naturally in various minerals. The name derives from the Greek molubdos, meaning lead, reflecting early confusion with lead-containing ores.
nounMolybdenum is a hard, silvery metal element with the chemical symbol Mo and atomic number 42. It is essential in modern steel alloys for strength and durability, and occurs naturally in various minerals. The name derives from the Greek molubdos, meaning lead, reflecting early confusion with lead-containing ores.
How to Pronounce Molybdenum
"The lab reported the sample contained trace molybdenum levels."
"Molybdenum is added to steel to improvehardness and resistance to corrosion."
"Industrial catalysts often rely on molybdenum compounds."
Pronounce as /məˈlɪb.də.nəm/. The primary stress is on the second syllable: mo-LYB-de-num. Start with a schwa /mə/, then /ˈlɪb/ with a short, clipped 'li' and a light 'b' before the unstressed /də/ and /nəm/. Think “muh-LIB-duh-num” with a crisp /b/ and a clear /n/ at the end. Audio reference: consult standard dictionaries or pronunciation videos for Mo.
Common errors: 1) stressing the wrong syllable (say MO-lyb-de-num or mol-y-), 2) mispronouncing /lɪb/ as /ləb/ with a stronger schwa, 3) turning /də/ into /duː/ or /dən/. Correction tips: mark the second-syllable stress clearly: mo-LYB-de-num; keep /l/ light and /b/ unaspirated, then glide smoothly to /də/ and end with /nəm/ rather than /nom/. Listen to scientific vocabulary drills to refine the sequence.
In US/UK/AU, the core is /məˈlɪb.də.nəm/. The primary stress remains on the second syllable. Subtle differences: US tends to shorter /ə/ in the first and third syllables; UK may reduce the second vowel slightly more and keep a crisper /d/; Australian often preserves a similar rhythm but with a slightly broader vowels in /ɪ/ and /ə/. All share a non-rhotic tendency in some speakers when not in careful enunciation; the final /nəm/ is generally clear in all three.
The difficulty comes from the multi-syllabic, alternating unstressed and stressed syllables and the cluster /lb/ followed by /dən/ and /əm/. The /ɪ/ in the second syllable is short and tense, while the /də/ is a quick, unstressed syllable before the /nəm/. Beginners often misplace the stress or merge /lb/ into /l/ or /d/; practice with a slow, syllable-by-syllable articulation and then speed up.
Q: Does the word’s second syllable reliably bear primary stress in all contexts, including rapid speech? A: Yes—the primary stress remains on the second syllable /ˈlɪb/ across formal and informal speech. In fast speech, you might reduce surrounding vowels slightly, but the /ˈlɪb/ remains the anchor. Practicing with sentence contexts helps ensure you retain the stress pattern.
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Molybdenum’s name comes from the Greek molubdos, meaning lead, reflecting early miners’ confusion when the ore mimicked lead minerals. The term entered Latin as molybdænum, then French molybdène in the 18th century, adopting the English spelling molybdenum in the 19th century. The symbol Mo was assigned from the first two letters of its element name. The element was isolated in the late 18th century by Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele and later by Peter Jacob Hjelm, with the isolation culminating in 1781.
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Words that rhyme with "Molybdenum"
-oom sounds
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