5 syllables: Te, ra, to, gen, ic. Stress on gen.
ter-uh-TOH-jen-ik
/ˌtɛɹəˈtoʊdʒɛnɪk/
Teratogenic is pronounced ter-uh-TOH-jen-ik (/ˌtɛɹəˈtoʊdʒɛnɪk/). It has five syllables (Te-ra-to-gen-ic), with the stress on "gen". Teratogenic is an adjective describing substances or factors that can disturb fetal development, causing birth defects. It denotes potential to cause abnormal embryonic or fetal growth, often relating to exposure during pregnancy. The term combines terato- (monster or malformed) with -genic (producing).
adjectiveTeratogenic is an adjective describing substances or factors that can disturb fetal development, causing birth defects. It denotes potential to cause abnormal embryonic or fetal growth, often relating to exposure during pregnancy. The term combines terato- (monster or malformed) with -genic (producing).
"Certain drugs have teratogenic effects when taken during pregnancy."
"Researchers study teratogenic risk to advise patients appropriately."
"Public health guidelines aim to minimize teratogenic exposure in expectant mothers."
Break it into ter-a-to-gen-ic with main stress on the third syllable: /ˌtɛr.əˈtoʊ.dʒə.nɪk/ (US). In UK: /ˌtɛr.əˈtɒ.dʒə.nɪk/. In casual speech, you can reduce the middle vowel slightly but keep the stress pattern; begin with 'ter' as in terror, then 'a' as schwa, 'to' as toe- with secondary emphasis, 'genic' as -dʒə-nik. Audio reference: listen for the syllable boundary after ter- and the strong beat on -to- DET.
Common errors: (1) Placing primary stress on the wrong syllable (ter-a-TO-gen-ic instead of TER-uh-TOG-uh-nik); (2) Mispronouncing 'to' as 'toe' with long vowel rather than a quick schwa; (3) Final -genic often misarticulated as 'jen-ick' rather than 'jə-nɪk'. Correction: keep the stressed syllable on -to-, use a neutral 'uh' in the first two syllables, and end with the soft 'nik' /nɪk/. Practice by isolating syllables: TER-uh-TOTE-ji-nik; then speed up while maintaining the schwa and the soft 'g' /dʒ/.
US: /ˌtɛr.əˈtoʊ.dʒə.nɪk/ with rhotic R and a clear long 'toe' in -to-. UK: /ˌter.əˈtɒ.dʒə.nɪk/ with non-rhotic R and shorter 'o' in -tæ-/-tɒ-. AU: /ˌteɹ.əˈtɒ.dʒə.nɪk/ often with American-like rhoticity among some speakers; vowels may be more centralized, and linking between syllables can be more pronounced. In all, main stress on -to-, but vowel qualities shift: US longer /oʊ/, UK shorter /ɒ/.
Because it combines a multi-syllabic prefix (terato-), a mid vowel sequence, and the /dʒ/ sound in -genic, which can be mistaken for 'genetic' or misarticulated with a hard 'g'. The stress falls on the 3rd syllable, and the middle 'to' often carries a weak vowel; maintaining the schwa /ə/ while gliding into /dʒ/ requires precise jaw relaxation and tongue positioning. Practice by isolating the sequences TER-ə-TŌ-dʒə-nik.
A unique aspect is the -genic ending that uses the /dʒ/ sound (as in 'judge') immediately after a stressed long vowel in 'to-'. This makes the transition from the second to third syllable crucial: you switch from /oʊ/ (or /ɒ/ in UK) to /dʒə/ briskly, not as a hard 'g' plus 'i', which some learners expect. Keep the tongue high for /dʒ/ and avoid silent letters; emphasize the syllable boundary clearly.
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Teratogenic derives from the Greek teratos, meaning monster or marvel, historically used in reference to malformed offspring, and -genic from Greek -genēs, meaning produced by or produced. The medical term teratology studies birth defects and abnormal development. The combining form terato- appears in the early 19th century in medical literature, paired with -genic to indicate causation of malformations by agents or exposures. Over time, teratogenic has specialized to describe substances or environmental factors that can cause congenital anomalies when a fetus is exposed during pregnancy. First known uses appear in pharmacology and obstetrics literature around the late 19th to early 20th centuries as toxicology increasingly linked specific agents to developmental disruption. The term has since become standard in teratology, epidemiology, and clinical risk counseling, signaling a category of risks rather than a universal effect, since teratogenic potential depends on dose, timing, and the organism.
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Words that rhyme with "Teratogenic"
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