/ˈnukliəˌtaɪdz/
Say it backNucleotides are the basic building blocks of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA, each consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. They form the units of genetic material and participate in encoding, transmitting, and expressing genetic information. In biology and biochemistry contexts, the term refers to any such monomer or to pairs of nucleotides in polymeric chains.
"Researchers studied how nucleotides pair and interact within the DNA double helix."
"The enzyme cleaves nucleotides from the sugar-phosphate backbone during replication."
"Nucleotides serve as energy carriers, such as ATP, in metabolic reactions."
Say NUH-klee-uh-tydz with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪdz/ in most accents. The core is /ˈnjuː.kli.ə/ followed by /taɪdz/. To feel it: tighten the lips for the /njuː/ onset, keep the mid vowels relaxed in /kliə/, then end with a clear /taɪdz/ as in tides.
Common errors: pairing the /juː/ with a weak /uː/ or misplacing stress on the second syllable. Another is saying /ˈn(j)uː.kli.ə.tiːdz/ with a long /iː/ instead of /aɪ/ for the final syllable. Correction: keep /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪdz/ and avoid elongating the final /dz/. Practice by slowing the middle /kliə/ into a crisp /kli.ə/ then glide to /taɪdz/.
US: /ˈnjuː.kli.ə.taɪdz/ with rhotic R? No r after vowels; UK: /ˈnjuː.kəl.iː.taɪdz/? The UK often reduces /kliə/ to /kliə/ and may reduce /ə/; AU mirrors US but with slightly shorter /uː/ and non-rhotic tendencies. The key is the first stressed syllable /ˈnjuː/ and the /taɪdz/ ending; the middle /liə/ may be realized as /lɪə/ or /lə/ depending on speaker.
Because of the sequence of consonants and the /juː/ onset after /n/. The cluster /njuː/ and the triplet /liə/ can be tricky; the final /teɪdz/ or /taɪdz/ requires an accurate /t/ release followed by /aɪ/ and /dz/. Coarticulation with surrounding scientific terms also makes it challenging in fast speech; practice segmenting and blending with minimal pairs.
A unique aspect is the /juː/ vowel sequence after the /n/ and the /taɪdz/ ending, which contrasts with the similar word 'nucleotides' where the /kli/ cluster can be met with slight vowel change; stress remains on the first syllable in most variants, so ensure you start strong with /ˈnjuː/.
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The word nucleotide derives from a fusion of nucleotide: from Greek nucleus ‘kernel, kernel of something’ and -tide (a suffix used for chemical compounds). The nucleus sense here reflects the central role in genetic material; historically, the term emerged in the 19th–20th centuries as biochemists clarified components of nucleic acids. The base component names (nucleoside + phosphate) guided terminology; early researchers identified nucleotide components by hydrophilic phosphate and sugar residues linked to nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine/uracil, cytosine, guanine). First widely used in publications around the 1940s–1950s, nucleotide chemistry accelerated with discoveries about DNA structure and ATP energy coupling in the mid-20th century. The word’s evolution tracks advances from characterizing simple nucleotides to understanding complex polymeric chains and regulatory roles in transcription and translation. In modern usage, nucleotide specifies either a single unit or a monomeric component of nucleic acids, and appears in contexts ranging from molecular biology to metabolism (e.g., nucleotide synthesis, nucleotide excision repair).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "nucleotides" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "nucleotides"
-des sounds
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