3 syllables: ni, trous ox, ide. Stress on ni.
neye-truh-SAHK-seyed
/ˈnaɪtɹəs ˈɑksaɪd/
Nitrous Oxide is pronounced neye-truh-SAHK-seyed (/ˈnaɪtɹəs ˈɑksaɪd/). It has three syllables (ni-trous ox-ide), with the stress on "ni". Nitrous oxide is a colorless, non-flammable gas used medically as an anesthetic and analgesic, and industrially as an oxidizer. In air it exists as N2O, commonly called laughing gas during anesthesia. The term combines 'nitrous' from nitrogen-based chemistry and 'oxide' indicating an oxygen-containing compound, with the gas typically delivered under controlled conditions for relief of pain or sedation.
nounNitrous oxide is a colorless, non-flammable gas used medically as an anesthetic and analgesic, and industrially as an oxidizer. In air it exists as N2O, commonly called laughing gas during anesthesia. The term combines 'nitrous' from nitrogen-based chemistry and 'oxide' indicating an oxygen-containing compound, with the gas typically delivered under controlled conditions for relief of pain or sedation.
"The dentist administered nitrous oxide to help ease the patient's anxiety before the procedure."
"Nitrous oxide is often used in car racing to increase engine performance when mixed with fuel."
"Prolonged exposure to nitrous oxide can be hazardous, so proper ventilation is essential in operating rooms."
Pronounce as /ˈnɪtrəs ˈɒksaɪd/ in US/UK variant. Stress falls on the first syllable of nitrous and the first syllable of oxide. The 'nit' sounds like kit without the k, ‘tr’ as a concise /tr/ blend, 'ous' reduces to a schwa-like /əs/. Oxide is /ˈɒksaɪd/ in UK, US often /ˈɒksaɪd/ as well. In phonetic sequence: NIT-rus OK-side. Quick tip: keep the initial consonant cluster tight, avoid an extra vowel between nit- and rous.
Common errors include misplacing stress (putting emphasis on the second syllable of nitrous), mispronouncing oxide as ‘ox-ide’ with a short o, and blending the /t/ and /r/ into a rolled sound. Correct by articulating nit as /nɪt/ with a clear t, then lightly connect to /rəs/ for ‘rus’, and say oxide as /ˈɒksaɪd/, with primary stress on the first syllable of oxide. Practice chunking: NIT-rus /ˈnɪtrəs/ plus /ˈɒksaɪd/.
In US English, nitrous is /ˈnɪtrəs/ with a lax final /s/, oxide typically /ˈɒksaɪd/ or /ˈɔːksaɪd/ depending on regional vowel shifts; the r-coloring is non-rhotic in some southern varieties but generally rhotic in US. UK English tends to have a short /ɒ/ in oxide: /ˈɒkˌsaɪd/ with a crisp /t/ in nitrous; Australian typically aligns with non-rhotic tendencies but with broader vowel qualities, often /ˈnɪtrəs ˈɒksaɪd/ or closer to US rhythm. Overall, vowel height and rhoticity vary, but stress pattern remains NIT-us- OX-ide baseline.
Two main challenges: a) the compact two-syllable ‘nitrous’ with a subdued vowel between /n/ and /t/ and the /r/ colored syllable; b) oxide starts with a back rounded vowel /ɒ/ that often becomes /ɑ/ or /ɔ/ depending on accent; the sequence requires clean /t/ and /r/ transition before the /ɒk/ onset. Practice by isolating /nɪtrəs/ and /ɒksaɪd/ separately, then blend with slow tempo to master the transition.
A unique aspect is the t- and r-blend in nitrous (nit-rus) and how the end of nitrous links to oxide. You’ll often hear a quick /t/ release before the /r/ onset. In careful speech, separate slightly: /ˈnɪt.rəs ɒkˈsaɪd/; in fluent speech, the /t/ may be <= nearly elided into a subtle stop: /ˈnɪtrəs ɒksaɪd/. IPA guide helps you keep the /t/ crisp without turning the sequence into a heavy /t/.
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US: rhotic pronunciation with clear /r/ and American vowel tensions; UK: shorter /ɒ/ in oxide and crisper /t/ release; AU: similar to UK but with broader vowel qualities and sometimes less pronounced rhoticity in casual speech. Key IPA notes: nitrous /ˈnɪtrəs/; oxide /ˈɒksaɪd/ or /ˈɔːksaɪd/. Vowel shifts: US /ɒ/ often realized as /ɑ/ or /ɔ/ depending on speaker; UK tends to /ɒ/. Consonant: avoid inserting an extra vowel between /t/ and /r/. Stress: first syllable of each word; nitrous primary stress, oxide primary stress, when saying the two-word phrase together, the weaker word can reduce slightly but keep clear onset.
Nitrous oxide etymology traces to early modern chemistry. Nitrous derives from the Latin nitrum, nitrum is a historic term linked to niter/saltpeter and the element nitrogen’s chemical series. The word nitrous in this sense evolved in the 18th century as chemists described compounds containing a nitroso or nitro group and oxygen; in the gas’s case, it’s dinitrogen oxide (N2O). Oxide comes from the Greek oxys meaning sharp or acid and the suffix -ide indicating a chemical compound. The compound was first synthesized by poetically noticing the gas produced when heating ammonium nitrate in early 19th-century experiments; however, the gas was more widely studied after Humphry Davy’s experiments in the 1790s-1800s, and later commercially used in anesthesia by 1844. First documented use of the specific term nitrous oxide emerged in relation to its gaseous form and chemical naming conventions in English texts of the late 18th century, with “laughing gas” popularized in the mid-19th century after its mild psychoactive effects were observed in public demonstrations. Over time, nitrous oxide has become central in medicine, chemistry, and automotive applications, symbolizing both light anesthesia and propellant performance.
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Words that rhyme with "Nitrous Oxide"
-ote sounds
-oat sounds
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