3 syllables: Teg, re, tol. Stress on Teg.
TEG-ruh-tohl
/ˈtɛɡɹəˌtoʊl/
Tegretol is pronounced TEG-ruh-tohl (/ˈtɛɡɹəˌtoʊl/). It has three syllables (Teg-re-tol), with the stress on "Teg". Tegretol is a trade name for carbamazepine, a prescription anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing medication used to treat seizure disorders and certain types of nerve pain. As a unique pharmaceutical proper noun, it’s spoken with emphasis on the syllables TEG-re-tol, often heard in medical discussions and patient counseling. The term is widely recognized in clinical contexts and pharmacology literature.
nounTegretol is a trade name for carbamazepine, a prescription anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing medication used to treat seizure disorders and certain types of nerve pain. As a unique pharmaceutical proper noun, it’s spoken with emphasis on the syllables TEG-re-tol, often heard in medical discussions and patient counseling. The term is widely recognized in clinical contexts and pharmacology literature.
How to Pronounce Tegretol
"The doctor prescribed Tegretol to help control his partial seizures."
"She reported improved mood stability after starting Tegretol."
"Tegretol tablets should be taken with food, as directed by her clinician."
Pronounce it as TEG-re-tol, with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK: /ˈtɛɡ.rə.tɔl/; AU often mirrors /ˈtɛɡ.rə.tɔːl/. Start with a crisp /t/ and a short /ɛ/ as in 'bed', then a schwa-like /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with /tɔl/ where /ɔ/ is a mid-back rounded vowel. Keep the tongue relaxed for the middle syllable and finish with a clear, closed syllable /tɔl/. For audio references, consult Pronounce or YouGlish for real patient-physician speech.”,
Two common errors are misplacing the stress (trying to stress the second or third syllable) and replacing /ɡ/ with /dʒ/ or adding an extra vowel in the middle (teh-GRE-tol). Correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈtɛɡ.rə.tɔl/. Ensure the middle vowel is a subtle schwa /ə/ rather than an explicit /ɪ/ or /i/. Close the final /l/ with a light touch of the tongue to avoid a vowel-only ending. Listening to native medical speakers can reinforce the crisp /t/ and the final /l/.”,
In US/UK, primary stress remains on the first syllable: /ˈtɛɡ.rə.tɔl/ US, /ˈtɛɡ.rə.tɔːl/ UK. US tends to be rhotic in connected speech, so you might hear a slight /ɹ/ coloration in the second syllable unexpectedly when connected; UK can show a shorter final vowel /ɔl/ or a longer monophthong in the last syllable depending on speaker, with /ɔːl/ in some regional varieties. Australian pronunciation often mirrors UK but with a slightly more open /ɔː/ and a clipped /t/ at the end. Regardless of accent, the first syllable bears the strong stress.
The difficulty comes from balancing three consonant sounds in quick succession with a mid-vowel /ə/ in the middle. The tricky parts are the /t/ closure at the start, the mid-central vowel in the second syllable, and the final /l/ with a clear alveolar contact. The syllable boundary is important for rhythm and intelligibility: TEG - re - tol. A slight friction in the middle vowel can shift to /ɪ/ or /e/; keeping a soft, unstressed /ə/ helps. Practice with slow, deliberate enunciation, then speed up while maintaining segment integrity.
A distinctive feature is the strong initial stress on TEG-, followed by a subtle schwa in the middle and a clear final syllable /tɔl/. The combination of a voiceless alveolar stop /t/ at onset, a mid-back rounded vowel /ɔ/ at the end, and a relaxed middle vowel makes it sound crisp and clinical. The brand name cadence also makes it a useful term for medical dialogues, requiring clear articulation to avoid confusion with similar-sounding drug names.
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Tegretol originated as a brand name developed in the mid-20th century for the anticonvulsant carbamazepine. The root chemical name carbamazepine derives from its composition: a carbamazepine molecule built from a carbazole nucleus with an ethyl carbamate side group. The brand name Tegretol was chosen to suggest therapeutic strength and neurological action, and it became widely adopted in medical practice from the 1960s onward. Over time, Tegretol entered common pharmaceutical language in both clinical notes and patient interactions, even as generic carbamazepine gained popularity in many markets. First uses appear in pharmacology literature and regulatory documents as developers sought a memorable, pronounceable name that could be prescribed and discussed in multilingual settings. The term is now recognized globally, though in everyday speech many patients and clinicians refer to the drug primarily by its generic name (carbamazepine) in formal contexts and by Tegretol in brand-specific or patient-facing discussions. The pronunciation of Tegretol has remained stable across English dialects, though the surrounding medical vocabulary may influence emphasis and rhythm in rapid clinical speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Tegretol" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Tegretol"
-tol sounds
-rol sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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