5 syllables: Sup, po, si, to, ry. Stress on po.
suh-POH-zit-uh-ree
/ˌsəˈpoʊzɪtəri/
Suppository is pronounced suh-POH-zit-uh-ree (/ˌsəˈpoʊzɪtəri/). It has five syllables (Sup-po-si-to-ry), with the stress on "po". Suppository is a noun for a medicated towelette or solid medicine designed to be inserted into a body cavity (usually rectal or vaginal) where it melts at body temperature to release its active ingredients. It is also used metaphorically to describe an object intended to impose something or be inserted, though the medical sense is predominant. The word emphasizes the route of administration rather than the substance alone.
nounSuppository is a noun for a medicated towelette or solid medicine designed to be inserted into a body cavity (usually rectal or vaginal) where it melts at body temperature to release its active ingredients. It is also used metaphorically to describe an object intended to impose something or be inserted, though the medical sense is predominant. The word emphasizes the route of administration rather than the substance alone.
- You confuse the syllable stress by stressing the first or second syllable; correct by isolating the third syllable and practicing with rhythm cues: suh-POZ-i-tor-ee. - You mispronounce the -spos- portion as /spə/ or /spɒ/ instead of /ˈpɒz/ or /ˈpoʊz/; correct with a deliberate /ˌpoʊ/ or /ˈpɒz/ vowel; use minimal pairs to lock that vowel. - You drop or blur the final -ry; ensure you articulate /əri/ or /ri/ with a clear final vowel. Regular, slow drills and recording help.
How to Pronounce Suppository
"The patient was given a suppository to relieve nausea."
"A rectal suppository should be inserted with care and hygiene."
"The doctor prescribed a suppository for pain after surgery."
Pronunciation: /ˌsəˈpɒzɪtəri/ in many variants, but the common modern US form is /ˌsə-pə-ˈzɪ-tɔr-i/ or /ˌsə-ˈpoʊzɪtəri/ depending on speaker. Stress typically falls on the third syllable: su-po-SI-to-ry. Break it into four clear syllables: suh-POZ-i-tor-ee, with the middle “pos” sounding like POS as in position. IPA references: US /ˌsə.pəˈzɪ.tɔːr.i/; UK /ˌsɒp.əˈzɪ.tə.ri/; AU /ˌsə.pəˈzɪ.tɒ.ɹi/. The key is the “-zɪ-” or “-zɪ-” portion and the final “-təri/ -tɒri” glide.
Common errors include: (1) Stressing the first syllable instead of the third (say SU-po-si-to-ry). Correct by practicing syllable-timed pace and marking the meter: suh-POZ-i-tor-ee. (2) Mispronouncing the middle ‘si’ as ‘see’ or confusing ‘pos’ with ‘pause’ sound; aim for a short, clipped ‘si’ in -siz-. (3) Dropping the final -ry or turning it into -ree; ensure the ending sounds like -tər-ee or -tɔːr-i depending on accent. Practice with minimal pairs: pos-i-to-ry vs pose-uh-tor-ee to fix the vowel and reduce final syllable sloppiness.
US tends to produce /ˌsəˈpoʊzɪtəri/ or /ˌsəˈpoʊzɪtɔri/ with a rhotic ending; UK tends toward /ˌsɒpəˈzɪtəri/ with non-rhotic r; Australia sits between, commonly /ˌsə.pəˈzɪ.tə.ɹi/ with some American-like rhoticity. The primary variance is vowel quality in the first unstressed syllable and the reduced schwa in the second syllable; rhoticity affects the /ɹ/ in US more prominently than in UK. The middle vowel in -zɪ- remains consistent but may be slightly centralized in rapid speech. Listen for the emphasis on the third syllable across all variants.
It’s difficult due to multi-syllable structure and a cluster of consonants: the ‘pp’-like bisyllabic onset in ‘pos’ and the shift from the unstressed first syllable to the stressed third syllable. The sequence -po- vs -poz- creates subtle vowel length differences, and the final -ory/ -ery endings vary with accent. Also, the vowel in the second syllable is often reduced to a schwa, making it easy to mis-stress. Focusing on the syllable-timed rhythm and practicing with minimal pairs helps solidify accurate mouth positions.
There are no silent letters in suppository, but the difficulty lies in the phoneme sequence and unstressed vowels. The word contains a common English -ssi- sequence producing /z/ in the onset of the third syllable and a final -tory that often lands as /-təri/ or /-tɔːri/ depending on accent. The key unique feature is the shift from a soft schwa in the first syllable to a stronger vowel in the stressed third syllable. Practice the exact /ˌsəˈpoʊzɪtəri/ or /ˌsɒpəˈzɪtəri/ variants to master the exact transitions.
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- US: rhotic, final -ry often realized as /-ri/; keep the tongue close to the alveolar ridge to produce a crisp /z/ sound in -poz-. - UK: non-rhotic, final /-ri/ tends to be a reduced /-ri/; maintain the central schwa in the second syllable, and emphasize the third. - AU: blend US and UK features, with subtle /ɹ/ variation and more clipped vowels; target /ˌsəˈpɒzɪtəri/ or /ˌsəˈpoʊzɪtəri/ depending on speaker. IPA references: US /ˌsəˌpoʊˈzɪtəri/, UK /ˌsɒpəˈzɪtəri/, AU /ˌsəpəˈzɪtəri/.
Suppository comes from the Latin suppositorium, from supponere ‘to place beneath, set under’ (sub- ‘under’ + ponere ‘to place’). The Latin noun suppositorium referred to something that is placed underneath, especially in a medical context. In English, the form evolved in the Middle Ages under the influence of French and Latin medical terminology, retaining the “-sitory” suffix from Latin -sitorius, indicating a place or instrument. The earliest English attestations align with late medieval to early modern medical texts, where “suppository” described a material placed inside the body to have local or systemic effects, typically inserted into the rectum or vagina. Over centuries, the term stabilized in pharmacology and is now a standard medical instrument. The word’s meaning has remained consistent: a medicated form intended for insertion. The pronunciation likely shifted with English vowel changes and stress patterns over time, but the modern stress on the second syllable (sup-po-si-tor-y) has been stable in medical usage for at least a couple of centuries. The evolution reflects broader trends in Latin loanwords used in medicine, where -ory suffixes denote tools or places, helping signal its functional nature as an instrument to place under a mucosal surface. First known use in English appears in pharmacological texts from the 17th to 18th centuries, later becoming commonplace in 19th- and 20th-century medical formulations and patient care language.
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Words that rhyme with "Suppository"
-ory sounds
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