4 syllables: Nu, cle, o, tide. Stress on Nu.
NOO-klee-uh-teyed
/ˈnukliəˌtaɪd/
Nucleotide is pronounced NOO-klee-uh-teyed (/ˈnukliəˌtaɪd/). It has four syllables (Nu-cle-o-tide), with the stress on "Nu". Nucleotide is the basic building block of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). It comprises a sugar molecule bound to a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base, forming a repeating unit that encodes genetic information. In biology, nucleotides mediate energy transfer and signal transduction; their sequencing determines hereditary traits and cellular function.
nounNucleotide is the basic building block of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). It comprises a sugar molecule bound to a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base, forming a repeating unit that encodes genetic information. In biology, nucleotides mediate energy transfer and signal transduction; their sequencing determines hereditary traits and cellular function.
"Biologists studied a strand of DNA to identify the sequence of nucleotides."
"The nucleotide pool supplies energy for the cell through molecules like ATP and GTP."
"Mutations in nucleotides can alter gene expression and protein synthesis."
Pronounce as NOO-kli-uh-tyde in most dialects, with primary stress on the fourth syllable: nu-CLEE-uh-tyde? A clearer breakdown: /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪd/ in US/UK usages, with a slightly lighter second syllable in rapid speech. Mouth position: start with a front high vowel [uː] after the initial [n], then a clear [kli] cluster, ending with a light diphthong [aɪd]. In careful speech, avoid conflating it with “nucleotid(e)” variants; maintain three distinct vowel sounds: /njuː/ /kli/ /ə/ /taɪd/.
Common errors: 1) Slurring the middle syllable into a single ‘klee-uh’ without clear vowel separation; 2) Misplacing stress to NUM? over NOO-; ensure primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪd/; 3) Pronouncing the ending as ‘-tide’ with a long I rather than the correct /aɪd/. Correction: emphasize /aɪd/ rather than /aɪd/? In short: keep /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪd/ with distinct /klɪ/ vs /kli/ and a final /taɪd/.
US/UK often share /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪd/ with rhotic vs non-rhotic tendencies affecting the r-color if any in connected speech, but neutral in this word. In Australian speech, the first syllable often more rounded and the second syllable may be slightly reduced: /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪd/ with a flatter /ə/ and a crisper final /taɪd/. Overall, vowels stay close to /uː/ in the first, /li/ mid, and /aɪd/ ending across regions; the main differences are vowel length and reduction when spoken quickly.
The difficulty stems from the cluster transitions and multisyllabic rhythm: the sequence nu-cleo-tide yields staccato consonants and a tripartite vowel pattern. The initial /njuː/ with a rounded, elongated /uː/ followed by /kli/ and a final /ə.taɪd/ requires precise tongue shaping, especially keeping /kl/ as a tight consonant cluster and the ending /aɪd/ distinct from /ɪd/. Practicing the syllable sequence slowly helps the mouth reposition smoothly.
A unique challenge is maintaining the clear separation between the /kli/ and the following /ə/ before /taɪd/. Some speakers fuse the middle syllable, producing /nukliətaɪd/ or /njuː.kli.əd/; the fix is to gently pause between /li/ and /ə/ and to articulate /ə/ as a distinct schwa before gliding into /taɪd/. Also watch the first syllable stress: keep it on /ˈnjuː/ rather than shifting to /ˈnjuː.kli/ under fast speech.
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Nucleotide comes from the Greek word nucleotide, formed from nucleon (nucleus or kernel) plus -tide (a suffix used in chemistry, from the Greek tidos ‘stretched out, proven’). The term was coined in the 1940s–1950s as scientists began to formalize the molecular subunits of nucleic acids. It reflects the concept of a “nuclear-like” unit embedded within larger biological polymers, with the suffix -tide paralleling other biochemical units such as nucleotide’s related terms: nucleoside, nucleotide triphosphate, etc. The base “nucle-” ties to the nucleus, while “-tide” signals a structural unit. First recorded usages appeared in mid-20th-century biochemical literature as DNA/RNA chemistry emerged, culminating in a standardized vocabulary that includes deoxyribonucleotide (DNA) and ribonucleotide (RNA) to distinguish sugar moieties. Over time, the term broadened to cover monophosphate, diphosphate, and triphosphate variants, which are critical in energy transfer (e.g., ATP) and signaling pathways. The etymology mirrors the shift from a purely structural concept to a functional molecular class central to genetics and bioenergetics.
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