4 syllables: Ox, i, da, tive. Stress on da.
ahk-suh-DEYE-tiv
/ˌɑksəˈdaɪtɪv/
Oxidative is pronounced ahk-suh-DEYE-tiv (/ˌɑksəˈdaɪtɪv/). It has four syllables (Ox-i-da-tive), with the stress on "da". Oxidative is an adjective describing processes involving or caused by oxidation, typically relating to chemical reactions that add or remove oxygen. It is also used in biology and medicine to denote oxidative stress or damage caused by reactive oxygen species. The term is common in scientific writing and discussions of metabolism, enzymes, and antioxidants.
adjectiveOxidative is an adjective describing processes involving or caused by oxidation, typically relating to chemical reactions that add or remove oxygen. It is also used in biology and medicine to denote oxidative stress or damage caused by reactive oxygen species. The term is common in scientific writing and discussions of metabolism, enzymes, and antioxidants.
"The oxidative reaction requires an enzyme to catalyze the conversion of substrates."
"Chronic oxidative stress is linked to aging and various diseases."
"The scientists studied oxidative damage to cellular lipids."
Pronounced ox-i-DA-tive, with primary stress on the third syllable: /ˌɒk.sɪˈdeɪ.tɪv/ in UK and /ˌɑːk.sɪˈdeɪ.tɪv/ in US; Australian is similar: /ˌɒk.sɪˈdeɪ.tɪv/. Start with the first syllable /ˈɒk/ or /ˈɑːk/, then /sɪ/ (soft s), then /ˈdeɪ/ (long A), and end with /tɪv/.
Two frequent errors: misplacing the stress (trying ox-i-DA-tive as a two-syllable word) and mispronouncing the /d/ as a /t/ before /ɪ/ leading to /ˌɒk.sɪˈden.tɪv/; the correct is /ˌɒk.sɪˈdeɪ.tɪv/. Another pitfall is mispronouncing the long A as a short A in /ˈdeɪ/; keep the /eɪ/ diphthong as a clear /eɪ/.
US prefers /ˌɑːk.sɪˈdeɪ.tɪv/ with a strong /ɒ/ or /ɑː/ in the first syllable and /deɪ/ as a clear diphthong; UK uses /ˌɒk.sɪˈdeɪ.tɪv/ with similar vowel qualities but slightly crisper consonants; Australian often aligns with UK but might exhibit a flatter /æ/ in /ɒk/ and a broader /eɪ/; all share primary stress on the third syllable. Rhoticity minimally affects this word since there is no rhotic dominance after the /r/.
Because of the three-syllable structure with a mid-stress shift and a final unstressed -tive, you must hinge on the /ˈdeɪ/ diphthong and not compress the sounds. The initial /ɒ/ vs /ɑː/ vowel in US vs UK, combined with the alveolar /d/ followed by /ɪ/ can lead to metaphrase as /ˌɒk.sɪˈden.tɪv/. Focus on the stable /ɪ/ in the second syllable and the long /eɪ/ in the third.
Is the syllable boundary before -tive always clear, or can you connect /deɪ/ and /tɪv/? It is typically /-deɪ.tɪv/ with a light, almost glottal stop between /deɪ/ and /tɪv/ in rapid speech; you should still articulate /t/ clearly to prevent assimilation to /d/.
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Oxidative comes from the noun oxidation, which derives from the Latin oxidare, meaning to make or become acidic or to sour (the sense of oxide formation). Oxidation itself traces to the Greek okuo meaning to sharpen or make sore, but in chemistry it shifted through medieval Latin oxidatio and French oxidation before entering English in the 19th century as oxidation and later oxidative as an adjective form. The root element is oxide, from Greek via Latin, with the suffix -ive, indicating a quality or tendency. The word’s emergence aligns with the broader chemical understanding of oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions developed during the 18th and 19th centuries; oxidative used specifically to describe processes involving oxidation, and later extended to biology and medicine to describe oxidative stress and related phenomena. First known usage in English attests to late 19th/early 20th century scientific discourse as researchers categorized reactions by their oxidizing nature and introduced forms like oxidative metabolism and oxidative damage to distinguish from reductive or nonoxidative processes.
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Words that rhyme with "Oxidative"
-ive sounds
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