3 syllables: Su, cral, fate. Stress on cral.
soo-KRAL-fayt
/suːˈkrælfeɪt/
Sucralfate is pronounced soo-KRAL-fayt (/suːˈkrælfeɪt/). It has three syllables (Su-cral-fate), with the stress on "cral". Sucralfate is a prescription medication used to treat and prevent ulcers in the stomach and intestines. It forms a protective barrier on ulcers and erosions, reducing irritation from acid, bile, and enzymes. Clinically, it’s often prescribed for short courses and in specific patient populations.
nounSucralfate is a prescription medication used to treat and prevent ulcers in the stomach and intestines. It forms a protective barrier on ulcers and erosions, reducing irritation from acid, bile, and enzymes. Clinically, it’s often prescribed for short courses and in specific patient populations.
How to Pronounce Sucralfate
"The gastroenterologist prescribed sucralfate to help heal the duodenal ulcer."
"Patients who cannot take NSAIDs may be given sucralfate as part of an ulcer-care plan."
"Sucralfate should be taken on an empty stomach for best effectiveness, according to the label."
Stress falls on the first syllable: /ˈsuː.krə.ləˌfeɪt/ (US) or /ˈsjuː.krælfæt/ (UK-like variants). Start with a prolonged 'soo' sound, then a light 'cra' or 'cral' blend, ending with a clear 'fate.' For non-native speakers, focus on the three clear syllables: SU-CRAL-FATE. Listening to an audio sample will help confirm the final 'ate' as /eɪt/. Audio references: see Pronounce or Forvo entries for sucralfate.
Two frequent errors: (1) compressing the middle syllable so it sounds like /ˈsuːk.rə.ˈleɪt/ instead of /ˈsuː.krə.ləˌfeɪt/— keep the middle weakly stressed with a schwa in /lə/; (2) mispronouncing the final /feɪt/ as /fæt/ or /fet/. Ensure the final is a clear /feɪt/ with a long a, and avoid reducing the 'ral' portion into a single consonant cluster. Practically: move tongue for /kr/ and keep a light, quick transition into /lə/ before /feɪt/.
US: /ˈsuː.krə.ləˌfeɪt/ with a non-rhotic-ish feel on /r/ depending on speaker. UK/AU: may realize /ˈsjuː.krælfæt/ or /ˈsuː.kɹælfæt/ with a shorter final vowel in some British variants; AU often keeps /ɹ/ closer to American but can be less rhotic in some dialects. Vowel quality in /suː/ is tense and long; /lə/ tends to be a short schwa; final /feɪt/ remains a mid-to-close diphthong /eɪt/. In all, the most noticeable difference is the treatment of the middle /kr/ cluster and the final /eɪt/ glide.
Key challenges are the three-syllable structure with a /kr/ cluster and the final /eɪt/; the /ə/ in the middle can be reduced in fast speech, leading to /ˈsuː.krəlˌfeɪt/ or /ˈsjuː.kəلˌfeɪt/ mispronunciations. Another common pitfall is misplacing stress, hearing a four-syllable rhythm instead of three. To overcome, practice breaking into three syllables, emphasize the /kr/ consonant cluster, and maintain a clear /feɪt/ at the end with a stable tongue position.
The name contains a conspicuous /kr/ cluster after the initial /su/ and a trailing /feɪt/ that cues the long, tense vowel at the end. Spelling can tempt mispronunciations like /ˈsuː.kruː.læfˌeɪt/ or /ˈsuː.kɹælˌfæt/. Keep the middle syllable light with /ələ/ and place primary stress on the first syllable, then release into /feɪt/. This alignment mirrors chemical-naming conventions where clusters and suffixes guide pronunciation.
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US: rhotics are common, so you’ll keep the /r/ audible in the middle; long /uː/ in SU. UK: more non-rhotic tendencies may soften /r/ after vowels; /ˈsuː.kra.læfæt/ variations occur; AU: similar to US in gross pronunciation but with subtler /r/ realization and slightly shorter vowels in some speakers. Vowels: /uː/ remains tense; /ə/ is light; /æ/ in some UK variants becomes a lilting /æ/ for /kræ/. IPA references helpful: US /ˈsuː.kɹə.ləˌfeɪt/; UK /ˈs(j)uː.krælfæt/; AU /ˈsuː.kɹɑːlˌfeɪt/.
Sucralfate traces its origins to the mid-20th century pharmaceutical naming practices. The term blends a sugar-derived prefix “su-” (from sucrose or related carbohydrate derivations) with “cralfate,” a portmanteau likely rooted in the chemical suffix -fate indicating a compound or compound-based agent, and “cral-” suggesting cross-linking or a salt-like, lattice-forming property. First used in medical literature in the 1980s as a brand-name-like descriptor for a medication designed to coat mucosal surfaces, its adoption followed the growing emphasis on mucosal protection in peptic ulcer disease. The compound was developed to adhere to ulcer sites and create a protective barrier, and the generic term solidified as the drug distribution broadened beyond brand names in the 1990s. While “sucralfate” is the unambiguous generic, variant spellings are rare and typically limited to typographical errors in clinical notes. Today, sucralfate is recognized globally as a proven gastroprotective agent, with the name serving as a precise identifier for this specific aluminum-sucrose complex. First known use in medical literature appears in pharmacology references from the late 20th century, with widespread clinical adoption by the 1990s and 2000s in GI therapy protocols.
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Words that rhyme with "Sucralfate"
-ate sounds
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