4 syllables: Ol, me, sar, tan. Stress on sar.
ohl-mes-AHR-tuhn
/oʊl.mɛˈsɑɹ.tən/
Olmesartan is pronounced ohl-mes-AHR-tuhn (/oʊl.mɛˈsɑɹ.tən/). It has four syllables (Ol-me-sar-tan), with the stress on "sar". As a noun, a prescription antihypertensive recall that blocks the angiotensin II receptor, used to treat high blood pressure. It belongs to the sartán class of medications and is taken orally. The word is a proper noun describing a specific drug, not a generic term, and is pronounced with multiple syllables and secondary stress patterns typical of medical nomenclature.
nounA prescription antihypertensive recall that blocks the angiotensin II receptor, used to treat high blood pressure. It belongs to the sartán class of medications and is taken orally. The word is a proper noun describing a specific drug, not a generic term, and is pronounced with multiple syllables and secondary stress patterns typical of medical nomenclature.
"The patient was prescribed olmesartan to manage longstanding hypertension."
"During the consultation, the doctor explained how olmesartan works in reducing blood pressure."
"She asked about the potential interactions between olmesartan and her other medications."
Break it into four syllables with a primary stress on the third: ol-me-SAR-tan. IPA US: ˌɒlˈmɛsərˌtæn; UK: ˌɒlˈmɛsəˌtɑːn. Start with ‘ol’ as in olive, ‘mes’ rhymes with ‘mess’, ‘ar’ like ‘are’, and end with ‘tan’ like ‘tan’. If you listen to a medical pronunciation guide or a Cambridge dictionary audio, you’ll hear the same four-syllable rhythm and the secondary stress pattern on the third syllable.
Most speakers misplace the stress, say ‘ol-ME-sartan’ or ‘ol-mes-AR-tan’, or blur the middle consonant cluster, producing ‘olm-ESS-ar-tan’. Correct it by stressing the third syllable: ol-mes-AR-tan, with a clear ‘s’ before the ‘ar’. Also ensure the final ‘tan’ is not reduced to ‘tən’ in fast speech. Practice the four-syllable rhythm slowly, then increase tempo, maintaining accurate vowel qualities.
In US and UK pronunciations, the middle vowel in ‘mes’ is a short e, and the final syllable carries strong stress on ‘sar’ with a clear ‘tan’ ending. US tends to be less clipped on the final consonant, UK may be slightly sharper with the final ‘tæn’ vs ‘tɑːn’, and Australian tends toward a broader vowel in ‘tan’ and a non-rhotic flow depending on speaker. Despite slight variations, the core four-syllable pattern remains consistent.
It combines a long, multi-syllabic medical name with a non-intuitive stress pattern: the primary stress lands on the third syllable, and the sequence ‘mes’–‘ar’ can blur in fast speech. The ending ‘tan’ can shift between /tæn/ and /tɑːn/ depending on accent. The blend of odd consonant cluster and the ‘sar’ syllable makes accurate articulation require deliberate placement of the tongue for each vowel and consonant.
Consider the subtle yod-like flavor in rapid speech between ‘mes’ and ‘ar’ in some speakers, producing a slight glide. The most consistent cue is to give full weight to the third syllable yoking ‘SAR’ with a crisp ‘tan’. Keeping the /s/ clearly articulated helps prevent the similarity of ‘mes’ to ‘mess’ from slipping into a mispronunciation.
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US: rhoticity adds a subtle /ɹ/ coloring before vowels after an unstressed syllable; UK: non-rhotic, so the /ɹ/ is less pronounced, vowel qualities are slightly tenser; AU: often broader vowels and less vowel reduction. In US, /ˌɒlˈmɛsərˌtæn/ with a clearer 'r' after the ‘sar’ than UK. IPA references: US ˌɒlˈmɛsərˌtæn, UK ˌɒlˈmɛsəˌtɑːn, AU ˌɒlˈmɛsəˌtæŋ. Focus on maintaining the four-syllable rhythm across accents.
Olmesartan is a modern pharmaceutical name formed from a truncation of likely chemical or company-derived elements combined with the standard -artan suffix used in sartán (Angiotensin II receptor blocker) drugs. The -artan family includes losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, and olmesartan, reflecting a common therapeutic class and naming convention. The exact origin of the root ‘olm-’ is proprietary to the drug’s development, but it follows the generic pattern of combining a stable stem with the -artan pharmacological suffix to indicate receptor blockade. The first known use of olmesartan in medical literature emerged in the late 1990s as a new ARB agent, with approval and commercial release in the early 2000s. Since then, its name has appeared in clinical trials, pharmacology texts, and prescribing guidelines as a representative ARB molecule, distinguishing it from older drug classes through its specific formulation and receptor activity.
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Words that rhyme with "Olmesartan"
-ton sounds
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