Scopolamine is a tropane alkaloid used medically to treat motion sickness and to dilate pupils during eye exams. It also serves as an adjunct anesthesia adjunct and can manage nausea. The word denotes the drug class and the specific compound derived from certain Solanaceae plants; its pronunciation is distinct and often challenging for non-specialists.
"The patient received scopolamine patches to prevent motion sickness."
"Researchers studied scopolamine’s effects on nausea during postoperative recovery."
"The ophthalmologist administered scopolamine to dilate the pupil before the examination."
"Some travelers use scopolamine to mitigate seasickness during long voyages."
Scopolamine derives from scopo- (a form of scopolamine’s relation to scopine, a tropane alkaloid) and -amine, indicating its amine functional group. The term traces to 19th-century medicinal chemistry when tropane alkaloids were first isolated from Solanaceae plants such as Datura and Scopolia; the prefix likely reflects Scopolia, a genus associated with its discovery. Early work on plant-based alkaloids identified atropine as a related compound, and scopolamine emerged as a closely related molecule with similar antimuscarinic properties. The exact origin of the name is tied to the compound’s structural relation to atropine’s tropane skeleton and its initial isolation from plant sources in Europe in the late 19th to early 20th century, with the word gradually entering pharmacological dictionaries as usage expanded in clinical practice.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Scopolamine" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Scopolamine" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Scopolamine"
-ine sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronunciation: /ˌskɒpəˈlæmiːn/. Stress falls on the third syllable: sco-PO-la-min? Actually, the stress is on la-: sco-po-LA-min-e? Wait—let me clarify: The word is segmented as sco-po-la-mi-ne with primary stress on LA. So: skoh-puh-LA-meen. IPA: /ˌskoʊpəˈlæmiːn/ in careful US transcription; in British: /ˌskɒpəˈlæmiːn/. Break it into syllables: sco-po-LA-min-e. The first syllable sounds like "skoh"; second like "puh"; third stressed syllable "LAY-mee-n" roughly; end with "neen". Tip: start with a short 'sc' followed by 'o' as in 'scot', then 'po' like 'po' in 'poem', then 'la' as 'lah' with stress, and 'mine' rhymes with 'mean'. Audio reference: consult Pronounce or Forvo for native pronunciation. IPA guides help you place your tongue: /ˌskoʊpəˈlæmiːn/ US, /ˌskɒpəˈlæmiːn/ UK.
Two common errors: 1) stressing the wrong syllable (placing primary stress on PO or MIN instead of LA) and 2) producing a vowel quality mismatch in the first or second syllable (pronouncing /sko/ as 'skoh-poe' or 'skop' vs 'sko'). Correction: practice the three-syllable rhythm SCO-po-LA-min-e and place primary stress on LA: /ˌskoʊpəˈlæmiːn/ (US). Keep the final 'ne' as 'meen' not 'ne' or 'nin'. Use minimal pairs and slow practice with a mirror to ensure lip rounding and jaw relaxation during the 'la' vowel.
US tends to use /ˌskoʊpəˈlæmiːn/ with a diphthong in the first syllable and non-rhotic 'r' not present; UK uses /ˌskɒpəˈlæmiːn/ with a shorter /ɒ/ and same primary stress on LA; Australian often mirrors UK but with slightly broader vowels and less released ending; all share final /miːn/. Key differences are the first vowel sound (US /oʊ/ as in 'go' vs UK/AU /ɒ/ as in 'lot') and the degree of rhoticity; practice listening to native speakers across each region to feel the contrast.
The difficulty comes from the three-syllable rhythm and the combination of a post-t- or c-s cluster followed by the /ə/ schwa, and then a long /iː/ at the end. Also, the diphthong in the first syllable and the relatively uncommon final -amine sequence can trip learners. Focus on the stressed LA in the third syllable, softening the 'sc' blend, and ensuring the final 'ine' is pronounced as 'meen' with a long i. IPA cues: US /ˌskoʊpəˈlæmiːn/, UK /ˌskɒpəˈlæmiːn/.
Unique query: Is the word pronounced with a strong 's' or a soft 'sc' cluster initial? Answer: It uses a hard /sk/ cluster at the start, with sc normally pronounced like 'sko' as in 'skull' or 'scop-' from 'scope'. The 'c' here is hard, not a 's' sound alone. The sequence is /ˌskoʊpəˈlæmiːn/ (US) or /ˌskɒpəˈlæmiːn/ (UK). Pay attention to the /k/ release before the /ə/ in the second syllable.
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