4 syllables: Plei, o, trop, ic. Stress on trop.
plee-OT-ruh-pik
/ˌpliːˈɒtrəpɪk/
Pleiotropic is pronounced plee-OT-ruh-pik (/ˌpliːˈɒtrəpɪk/). It has four syllables (Plei-o-trop-ic), with the stress on "trop". Pleiotropic is an adjective describing a gene or factor that influences multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. It denotes broad, pleiotropic effects rather than a single-target action, and is commonly used in genetics and biomedical contexts. The term emphasizes interconnected influence across several characteristics rather than isolated outcomes.
adjectivePleiotropic is an adjective describing a gene or factor that influences multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. It denotes broad, pleiotropic effects rather than a single-target action, and is commonly used in genetics and biomedical contexts. The term emphasizes interconnected influence across several characteristics rather than isolated outcomes.
"The researchers studied a pleiotropic gene that affected both metabolic rate and immune response."
"Pleiotropic effects can complicate the interpretation of genetic association studies."
"In this study, a pleiotropic mutation altered eye color and wing development in the model organism."
Pronounce as /ˌpliː.əˈtrɒp.ɪk/ (US/UK/AU share /ˌpliː.əˈtrɒp.ɪk/). Primary stress on the third syllable '-tro-'. Start with /pliː/ using a long E, then a soft /ə/ in the second syllable, followed by /ˈtrɒp/ with an open back vowel, and end with /ɪk/. Mouth positions: lips spread for /iː/, relax the jaw for /ə/, then lips rounded slightly for /ɒ/ before finishing with a short /ɪ/ and /k/. Listen to a model: reference audio from Pronounce or Forvo for confirmation.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (stressing the wrong syllable), mispronouncing the second syllable as /ˈpliː.ə.trɒp.ɪk/ with primary stress on -pleio- instead of -tro-; and blending /trɒ/ with /tro/ or mispronouncing the final /ɪk/ as /ɪk/ with a long vowel. Correct by keeping /ˌpliː.ə/ as a light bow, then delivering a crisp /ˈtrɒp/ and a short /ɪk/. Practicing syllable-by-syllable and listening to native models helps stabilize the entire word.
Across US/UK/AU, the main variation is rhoticity and vowel length. US typically maintains a rhotic /r/ in post-vocalic positions, but in this word there is no /r/ after; UK and AU often drop syllable liberties slightly, with a crisper /ˈtrɒp/ and a slightly shorter /ɪk/. The primary stress remains on the third syllable, but vowel quality can shift: US may favor a slightly longer /ɒ/; UK/AU may have a slightly closer fronted /ɒ/ due to conservatism in RP and general Australian pronunciation.
The difficulty stems from the multipart syllable structure and the cluster /tr/ followed by /ɒp/. The sequence /ˌpliː.ə/ can tempt speakers to misplace stress on the first syllable or reduce the /ə/ too much, and the /trɒp/ combination requires a precise alveolar stop immediately after the rolled or relaxed lip position from /ˈtrɒp/. Also, the final /ɪk/ can slide toward /ək/ if the following sound is not strong, so you need a crisp /k/ release.
No silent letters in the standard pronunciation. Every letter contributes to the sound: the P leads the initial /pl/ cluster, the e in 'plei-' contributes to the long /iː/ sound, and the -t- in 'tro' is pronounced as part of the /trɒp/ sequence. The final -ic is pronounced /ɪk/. Focus on the syllable break: /ˌpliː.əˈtrɒp.ɪk/ and keep all letters audible.
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Pleiotropic comes from the Greek prefix pleio- meaning 'more' or 'many' and 'trope' from tropos meaning 'turn' or 'direction' (as in tropism). The term arose in the early to mid-20th century within genetics to describe genes that produce multiple phenotypic effects. The combined sense is of a single gene exerting influence in several directions, rather than a single outcome. First known uses appear in scientific literature addressing complex trait inheritance, with broader adoption as genomic techniques highlighted how genes could affect diverse biological pathways. The word entered common scientific parlance as researchers began to describe genes that have pleiotropic roles in development, metabolism, and disease susceptibility. Over time, the term has expanded beyond classical genetics into pharmacology and systems biology to denote broad, multi-trait influence across organisms and contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Pleiotropic"
-loy sounds
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