tahk-sik-AH-luh-jee
/ˌtɑksɪˈkɑlədʒi/
toxicology is pronounced tahk-sik-AH-luh-jee (/ˌtɑksɪˈkɑlədʒi/). Toxicology is the branch of science studying the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms, including exposure routes, dose–response relationships, and risk assessment. It combines chemistry, biology, and medicine to understand how toxic substances interact with biological systems, evaluate risk, and guide safety standards. The term often appears in academic, regulatory, and clinical contexts, reflecting its precise, evidence-based focus on poisons and their effects.
Toxicology is the branch of science studying the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms, including exposure routes, dose–response relationships, and risk assessment. It combines chemistry, biology, and medicine to understand how toxic substances interact with biological systems, evaluate risk, and guide safety standards. The term often appears in academic, regulatory, and clinical contexts, reflecting its precise, evidence-based focus on poisons and their effects.
"The university offers a graduate program in toxicology."
"Toxicology reports are essential for regulatory approval of new drugs."
"She specializes in forensic toxicology to determine cause of death."
You say /ˌtɒkˈsɪkələdʒi/ in UK and /təˈsɪkəˌlɒdʒi/ in US? Actually standard is /təˌk sɪkˈɒlədʒi/? Wait. Correct US: /ˌtɑːkˌsɪkˈɒlədʒi/? This needs precision: The common, accurate pronunciation is /ˌtɒk.sɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/ (UK: /ˌtɒk.sɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/), US: /ˌtɑːk.sɪˈkɒl ə.dʒi/. Let's provide a clean, widely accepted form: US: /ˌtɑːksɪˈkɒlədʒi/, UK: /ˌtɒk sɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/, AU: /ˌtɒk.sɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/.
Common errors: stressing the wrong syllable (placing stress on the third syllable -logy instead of -ol- or moving stress to the second; Mispronouncing ‘toxi-’ as ‘tox-icks’ or ‘tox-ih-kology’; pronounced as ‘toxx-i-ology’ with a hard x. Corrections: use a three-syllable rhythm: tox-i-CO-logy with primary stress on the third syllable in many accents; practice the 'logy' as /lə-dʒi/ or /lə.dʒi/ depending on accent; keep the 'k' sound crisp and avoid 'ks' blends that run together.
US: stress often on -logy? Actually says secondary: /təˌsɪkəˈlɒdʒi/? Provide consistent: US: /ˌtɑːk.sɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/; UK: /ˌtɒk.sɪˈkɒl.ədʒi/; AU: /ˌtɒk.sɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/. Differences: rhoticity affects US rhotic accents, vowels in 'toxic-' differ: US /ˈkɒl.ə/ vs UK /ˈkɒl.ə/; final -logy often /-lədʒi/ vs /-lə.dʒi/; rhythm and vowel length vary.
Because it has a three-syllable rhythm with a stressed mongrel on the 2nd or 3rd syllable and a staccato 'ks' cluster /ˈtɑːk.sɪ.kə.lɒ.dʒi/. The '-logy' ending often reduces to /lə.dʒi/ or /lɒdʒi/ depending on region, and the 'tox-' onset has a relaxed vs tense vowel, leading to common mispronunciations like 'tox-i-kology' or 'tox-i-col-ogy'. Understanding the precise IPA and practicing the three-part division helps.
There are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation; all letters contribute sounds. The tricky part is the vowel reductions and the 'logy' ending where the 'logy' can be pronounced as /lə.dʒi/ or /lɒ.dʒi/ depending on accent. Focus on keeping the 'k' pronounced in 'tox' and delivering a clear /dʒ/ at the end of the penultimate syllable.
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The word toxicology comes from the Greek toksikos meaning ‘poisonous,’ paired with the Latin logia meaning ‘the study of’ or ‘discourse.’ The combined form toxic- (poison) + -logy (study of) dates from mid-17th century scientific coinage, reflecting a period when systematic natural philosophy began classifying substances by their harmful effects. Early usage often appeared in pharmacology and medicine as scholars pursued the boundaries of poisons, antidotes, and therapeutic windows. Over the centuries, toxicology broadened to include environmental and forensic applications, integrating chemistry, biology, zoology, and risk assessment. The term first gained precise scientific traction in the 19th century with the establishment of toxicology as a formal discipline, as laboratories and pharmacopoeias sought standardized methods to test toxicity in animals and cell systems. By the 20th century, regulatory agencies adopted toxicology as essential for drug safety, pesticide evaluation, and occupational health, embedding it firmly in public health, safety science, and law. Today, toxicology spans mechanistic studies, analytical chemistry, and computational models, maintaining its core mission: to understand how substances injure biological systems, to quantify risk, and to translate findings into policies that protect human and ecological health.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "toxicology" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "toxicology"
-ogy sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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