3 syllables: Pi, to, cin. Stress on Pi.
PIT-uh-sin
/ˈpɪtəsɪn/
Pitocin is pronounced PIT-uh-sin (/ˈpɪtəsɪn/). It has three syllables (Pi-to-cin), with the stress on "Pi". Pitocin is a brand-name synthetic oxytocin used to induce or augment labor. It’s also used in some obstetric and gynecologic settings to control bleeding after childbirth. The term is most commonly encountered in medical contexts and is pronounced with a tertiary stress on the first syllable, yielding a clinical, two-syllable rhythm.
nounPitocin is a brand-name synthetic oxytocin used to induce or augment labor. It’s also used in some obstetric and gynecologic settings to control bleeding after childbirth. The term is most commonly encountered in medical contexts and is pronounced with a tertiary stress on the first syllable, yielding a clinical, two-syllable rhythm.
"The doctor ordered Pitocin to speed up the latent phase of labor."
"Pitocin was administered intravenously during the delivery to manage contractions."
"She received Pitocin after birth to reduce postpartum bleeding."
Pronounce as PYE-tuh-sin with the primary stress on the first syllable. IPA US/UK/AU: /ˈpaɪtəˌsɪn/. Start with the long /aɪ/ in ‘pi,’ then a quick ‘tuh’ schwa, and finish with /sɪn/. The second syllable is lighter, and the final syllable is unstressed. Mouth positions: begin with a high front vowel and glide into a light alveolar stop before a soft final nasal. If you’re listening, you’ll hear a crisp initial syllable followed by a softer second part. See audio resources for perception reference.
Common errors include misplacing stress (say ‘pit-OO-sin’) or treating it as a long, stressed two-syllable word (‘PIE-tuh-sin’). Another frequent slip is mispronouncing the second syllable as ‘toe’-like instead of a short /tuh/. Correct by emphasizing the first syllable, using a light, quick /tə/ and finishing with a clear /sɪn/. Practice with the IPA: /ˈpaɪtəˌsɪn/ and shadow native speaker audio to calibrate rhythm.
In US/UK/AU, Pitocin is largely the same: /ˈpaɪtəˌsɪn/. All three varieties retain the rhotics and the quiet second syllable; however, Australian speakers may slightly reduce the /tə/ to a quicker, more centralized vowel, giving a slightly more clipped rhythm. None of the three typically include a strong /r/; the primary differences are subtle vowel timing and intonation. Listening to hospital protocol recordings in each variant can help you tune your ear.
The challenge lies in the two-syllable structure with a light second half and a long first vowel /aɪ/. The secondary stress on the second half can trip you up, and the fast medical cadence in a clinical setting can mask the /tə/ reduction. The word also includes a near-silent or weakly pronounced second vowel cluster for non-native speakers. Focus on achieving a steady /ˈpaɪtəˌsɪn/ with careful attention to the vowel qualities and syllable timing.
Pitocin is pronounced with a clear initial ‘pi’ as in ‘pie,’ followed by a light ‘to’ as /tə/ and ending with /sɪn/. The stress pattern is fixed with initial emphasis, then a lighter secondary stress on the final syllable cluster. The word ends with a nasal /n/ which should be released clearly but quickly to avoid a clipped finish. Ensure the /s/ is crisp, not blended into the following vowel in connected speech.
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Pitocin is a proprietary brand name for a synthetic form of oxytocin used in obstetrics. Oxytocin itself derives from Greek roots: ‘oxys’ meaning sharp or quick, and ‘tokos’ meaning birth. The modern pharmacological oxytocin was developed in the 20th century as a peptide hormone identical to the body’s own oxytocin, enabling medical induction of labor. The brand name Pitocin emerged in the United States as a marketed preparation of this hormone for intravenous administration. First used clinically in the mid-20th century, Pitocin rapidly became a standard tool for labor induction and augmentation due to its reliability and controllable dosing. Over time, its usage has been refined with clear guidelines on dosing, monitoring, and indications, while the molecular identity and mechanism (binding to oxytocin receptors, promoting uterine contractions) have remained constant. The term Pitocin has become almost synonymous with medically managed labor in many healthcare contexts, particularly in settings where precise control of contraction patterns is essential.
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Words that rhyme with "Pitocin"
-cin sounds
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