4 syllables: Se, le, ni, um. Stress on le.
suh-LEE-nee-uhm
/səˈliniəm/
Selenium is pronounced suh-LEE-nee-uhm (/səˈliniəm/). It has four syllables (Se-le-ni-um), with the stress on "le". Selenium is a chemical element (Se) used in electronics, glassmaking, and nutrition. It is a nonmetal with metalloid properties, essential in trace amounts for human health, and known for its role in antioxidants. In biology, it also appears in proteins as the amino acid selenocysteine. The term also refers to a web testing framework in software development, though the element is the more common usage.
nounSelenium is a chemical element (Se) used in electronics, glassmaking, and nutrition. It is a nonmetal with metalloid properties, essential in trace amounts for human health, and known for its role in antioxidants. In biology, it also appears in proteins as the amino acid selenocysteine. The term also refers to a web testing framework in software development, though the element is the more common usage.
"The researcher added selenium to the diet to study its antioxidant effects."
"Selenium supplements are often recommended to prevent deficiency in certain populations."
"The chemical symbol for this element is Se, atomic number 34."
US: /səˈliːniəm/; UK: /sɪˈliːniəm/; AU: /sɪˈliːniəm/. The stress sits on the second syllable (li), with a long E in the second syllable and a weak schwa in the first. Start with an unstressed schwa, then a clear L-EE sound, and end with -ni-uhm. Picture saying "suh-LEE-nee-uhm" with a crisp final syllable. An audio reference you can compare to is the standard English pronunciation in closely related science terms.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the second syllable stress and pronouncing as seh- LEN -ee-um or /ˌsɛlˈəniəm/; fix by stressing the second syllable: /səˈliːniəm/. 2) Shortening the long E to a quick /ɛ/ in li-; ensure a long /iː/. 3) Syllable confusion between ‘li’ and ‘ni’ leading to /ˈsɛləˌniəm/; keep the li as /liː/ and the ni as /ni/. Practice with minimal pairs and stress-timed rhythm.
US typically uses /səˈliːniəm/ with a mid central initial vowel and prominent /iː/ in the second syllable. UK tends to /sɪˈliːniəm/, with a slightly laxer first vowel and a more clipped final syllable. Australian often aligns with UK/US but can be less rhotic and may have a slightly broader vowel in the first syllable, still preserving /liː/ in the stressed syllable. Regardless, the second syllable stress on /ˈliː/ remains consistent.
The difficulty lies in the unstressed initial syllable and the long E in the stressed syllable, which is easy to mispronounce as /ˈsɛlə-. The combination of schwa + L + long /iː/ requires precise tongue positioning: a relaxed initial /ə/ then a tight, high-front /iː/ with a clear /l/ and light /ni/ before the final /əm/. Salient phonetic cues: second syllable has /liː/; avoid devoicing the final /m/.
In general science contexts, you’ll say /səˈliːniəm/ with standard four-syllable pronunciation. In branding or software contexts, maintain the same phonetic pattern but be mindful of brand-specific capitalization (Selenium). Some speakers may say /sɪˈlɛniəm/ if influenced by nearby linguistic patterns; however, standard is /səˈliːniəm/ in US and /sɪˈliːniəm/ in UK/AU.
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Selenium traces its name to the Greek selene, meaning moon, reflecting its discovery and the lunar-like silvery appearance of the element when isolated. It was identified in 1817 by Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius, who associated its discovery with a new selenium-containing mineral rather than a common metal. The root selene is linked to the goddess of the Moon, a convention in chemistry to name elements with meteor or celestial associations. The term Selenium subsequently broadened in computer science to represent a JavaScript-based browser automation tool, named after the element as a nod to “selenium” for its testing role under cloud-like coverage and automation across browsers. The first known use of the element name appeared in early 19th-century chemical texts, while the software usage emerged in the 2000s as web automation gained prominence.
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Words that rhyme with "Selenium"
-me) sounds
-ox) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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