6 syllables: Sul, fo, nyl, u, re, as. Stress on re.
suhl-fohl-neye-lyoo-REE-uhz
/səlfoʊlnaɪljuˈriəz/
Sulfonylureas is pronounced suhl-fohl-neye-lyoo-REE-uhz (/səlfoʊlnaɪljuˈriəz/). It has six syllables (Sul-fo-nyl-u-re-as), with the stress on "re". Sulfonylureas are oral diabetes medications that stimulate insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. They belong to a class of sulfonyl compounds and are used to improve blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes. The term combines the chemical sulfonyl group with urea-like moieties, reflecting their molecular structure and pharmacological action.
nounSulfonylureas are oral diabetes medications that stimulate insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. They belong to a class of sulfonyl compounds and are used to improve blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes. The term combines the chemical sulfonyl group with urea-like moieties, reflecting their molecular structure and pharmacological action.
How to Pronounce Sulfonylureas
"The clinician prescribed sulfonylureas to help manage her type 2 diabetes."
"Some patients experience hypoglycemia as a side effect of sulfonylureas."
"Researchers are studying the long-term outcomes of adjunctive sulfonylurea therapy."
/ˌsʌlˌfoʊˈnaɪljuːˌriːəz/ (US) or /ˌsʌlˈfəʊnɪlˌjuːˈriːəs/ (UK). The stress tends to fall on the third syllable: sul-fo-NY-lue-RAZ. Start with the 'sul' as in sulfa, then 'fo' as in fo, then 'ny' like 'nye', followed by 'lu' and 're-as' ending, with the final 'as' voiced. Mouth positions: start with a light s, rounded lips for 'oʊ', then a clear 'ny' palatal from tongue contact behind the alveolar ridge, then a light 'l' and a clear 'juː' glide into 'riːəz'. Audio reference: Pronounce resources or medical diction guides can provide a native-speaker audio example to verify the rhythm.
Common mistakes: misplacing the stress (leading to sul-fo-NY-looz) or conflating 'nyl' with 'ny' as in nylon. Also dropping the final -as or turning -ures into -yoo-ers. Correction: insist the trio of major segments: sul-fo-NY-lu-ree-ahs, with a clear 'ny' palatal onset and the final 'æz' or 'iːəz' depending on accent. Practice saying the middle 'ny' syllable with a quick palatal contact, keep the 'juː' as a brief glide to 'riːəz' for natural cadence.
US tends to a slightly stronger rhoticity with /r/ in 'riːəz' and a more pronounced 'oʊ' in 'foʊ'. UK often reduces the vowel in the first syllable and places emphasis slightly differently: /ˌsʌlˈfəʊnɪlˌjuːˈriːəz/. Australian tends to flatten some vowels and maintain non-rhoticity; final -as may be >= /əz/ or /iːəz/ with a softer 'r' sound. In all variants, the 'ny' cluster remains a palatal nasal with a clear 'ny' sound. Listen to native medical readers to calibrate the subtle vowel shifts.
It combines a long fronted 'sul-fo-' with the zippy 'ny' palatal segment and a multisyllabic ending '-ylureas' that many speakers mispronounce as '-you-rees' or '-yor-eas'. The challenge is maintaining the sequence sul-fo-NY-lu-RE-as with correct stress and rhythm, plus the 'nyl' cluster. The 'ny' sound requires a high front tongue position and precise airflow; the 'rea' or 'riːəz' ending needs a slow, accurate glide and final schwa or z depending on accent.
There are no silent letters in standard pronunciation, but the challenging cluster is 'nyl' followed by 'ureas', where the 'u' can be a quick 'juː' glide and the 'ea' can be elongated as 'iː' or a shorter /eə/ depending on accent. Some speakers reduce the 'ny' slightly when speaking quickly, which can blur the /nyl/ into /nl/. Always maintain a crisp 'ny' and avoid blending the final '-reas' into a single syllable. For clarity, isolate the 'nyl' and the 'u' before the 're'.
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Sulfonylureas derives from the chemical functional group sulfonyl (SO2NH2) combined with urea-like fragments, indicating sulfonamide-like sulfonyl and urea-derived components. The root sulfo- comes from sulfur-containing sulfonyl groups first named in organic chemistry in the 19th century, while -urea denotes the urea-like heterocycle or amidine-like moieties in several analogs. In medicine, the term began to appear in the mid-20th century as researchers developed oral hypoglycemic agents with sulfonamide backbones. Early sulfonylurea discoveries linked to stimulating pancreatic beta-cell insulin release, evolving from crude sulfonyl compounds to more selective, receptor-driven agents. First known use in pharmacology texts appears in the 1940s–1950s as drug chemists explored oral antihyperglycemic properties of sulfonylurea-like molecules, with practice expanding through the 1960s–1980s as specific drugs like tolbutamide, chlorpropamide, glyburide, and later glipizide and others entered clinical use.
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Words that rhyme with "Sulfonylureas"
-ria sounds
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