3 syllables: Pred, ni, sone. Stress on Pred.
PRED-nuh-sohn
/ˈprɛd.nə.soʊn/
Prednisone is pronounced PRED-nuh-sohn (/ˈprɛd.nə.soʊn/). It has three syllables (Pred-ni-sone), with the stress on "Pred". Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system in various medical conditions. It’s pronounced with four distinct syllables, stressing the second: pre-DNI-sone. In medical contexts, it’s treated as a formal, clinical term and appears in prescriptions, patient education, and pharmacology discussions.
nounPrednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system in various medical conditions. It’s pronounced with four distinct syllables, stressing the second: pre-DNI-sone. In medical contexts, it’s treated as a formal, clinical term and appears in prescriptions, patient education, and pharmacology discussions.
How to Pronounce Prednisone
"The doctor prescribed prednisone to manage the acute allergic reaction."
"She takes prednisone daily as part of her autoimmune disease treatment, under medical supervision."
"Prednisone can have side effects like mood changes and increased appetite."
Prednisone is pronounced pre-DEN-oh-sohn with four syllables and primary stress on the second syllable: pre-DI-no-sone or pre-DEN-oh-sone in careful speech. IPA US: /ˌprɛdɪˈnoʊsən/; UK: /ˌprɛdɪˈnəʊsən/. Start with /pr/ as in 'pre', move to the stressed /noʊ/ portion, and finish with /sən/. If you’re unsure, listen for the second-syllable emphasis and a clear 'oh' in the third: pre-DEN-oh-sone.”,
Common mistakes: misplacing the stress (stressing the first syllable) and muffling the mid vowels. The correct stress is on the second syllable: pre-DI-no-sone. Also avoid turning /noʊ/ into a quick /no/ or conflating -son- with -sone. Practice by isolating the mid-vowel: deliver /noʊ/ clearly, then end with a crisp /sən/ or /soʊn/ depending on dialect.”
In US/UK/Australian accents, the main differences are vowel quality and rhoticity. US speakers use /ˌprɛdɪˈnoʊsən/ with an rhotic /r/less influence after /p/ and a clear dorsal mid-vowel /oʊ/; UK tends to a more open /ə/ or /əʊ/ in the second vowel and may show less rhotics in non-rhotic varieties. Australian typically aligns with non-rhotic tendencies and a slightly broader /ə/ in the second syllable, but keeps the primary stress on the second syllable. Always preserve the /ˈnoʊ/ vs /ˈnəʊ/ distinction.
It’s challenging due to the combination of a multisyllabic rhythm, a mid-vowel sequence /ɪˈnoʊ/ that doesn’t match English spelling, and the final schwa-to-n consonant cluster that can blur in casual speech. The stress falls on the second syllable, which can be hard to lock in when speaking quickly. Also, the final /sən/ vs /soʊn/ variation can trip non-native speakers; aim for a crisp /sən/ with a light nasal. IPA references help anchor the sounds.”},{
One unique aspect is the mid-syllable vowel transition: /ɪ/ or /ɪ/ before the stressed /noʊ/ and the subsequent /sən/ or /sən/ tail. Keep the /d/ immediately before the long /oʊ/ so you don’t slip into a /dənoʊ/. Also ensure you don’t reduce the second syllable unintentionally; maintain a strong /noʊ/ to anchor the word’s rhythm.
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Prednisone derives from a blend of roots that reflect its pharmaceutical nature. The prefix pre- indicates ‘before’ or ‘prior’ in many medical terms, though here it functions as part of a nomenclature lineage rather than a literal predictor of timing. The core -nisone traces back to prednisone’s sister compounds in the corticosteroid family and is linked to pred- (from Latin praed-, ‘to forecast’ in some compound-name constructions) and -nisone, a suffix pattern seen in several steroid drugs ending in -sone/-sone-like shapes. The term took its modern form in the mid-20th century as synthetic modifications aimed to improve potency and stability in corticosteroids. The first known use appears in pharmacological literature around the 1950s as synthetic prednisone-like steroids entered clinical practice. Over decades, prednisone gained widespread clinical adoption and became a staple in anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapy, with names evolving through drug regulation and pharmacopoeial standardization. In contemporary use, prednisone often appears in patient-facing materials and dosing guidelines, while still retaining its historical roots in steroid nomenclature.
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Words that rhyme with "Prednisone"
-one sounds
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