TAHK-suhnz
/ˈtɑksənz/
toxins is pronounced TAHK-suhnz (/ˈtɑksənz/). Toxins are poisonous substances produced by living organisms or introduced from outside, capable of causing harm or disease. In biology and medicine, the term often refers to poisons emitted by microbes, plants, or animals, as well as synthetic toxins. It denotes hazardous agents that can disrupt cellular processes and provoke adverse physiological effects in exposed individuals.
Toxins are poisonous substances produced by living organisms or introduced from outside, capable of causing harm or disease. In biology and medicine, the term often refers to poisons emitted by microbes, plants, or animals, as well as synthetic toxins. It denotes hazardous agents that can disrupt cellular processes and provoke adverse physiological effects in exposed individuals.
"Exposure to environmental toxins can have long-term health consequences."
"Researchers study how toxins interact with cellular receptors to cause disease."
"The toxin produced by certain algae can contaminate seafood and pose risks to humans."
Pronounce it as TOX-ins with the primary stress on TOX. Phonetically: /ˈtɒk.sɪnz/ in US/UK/AU. Start with a voiceless /t/, then the short /ɒ/ as in 'lot' for British-style broad vowel, then /k/ cluster, followed by a schwa-like or short /ɪ/ before the plural /nz/. Finish with /nz/ as in 'z' plus voiced alveolar nasal. When you say it, keep the /t/ crisp and avoid inserting an extra vowel between /k/ and /s/.
Common mistakes: misplacing the stress (e.g., saying toˈxins), mispronouncing the vowel in the first syllable (using /ɒ/ vs /ɑ/), and blending the /k/ and /s/ into a /ks/ sequence too softly. Correction: place primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈtɒk.sɪnz/. Produce a crisp /t/ followed by a short /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ (depending on accent), then a clear /k/ before the /s/ onset of /nz/. Finally, enunciate the final /nz/ cluster as a nasal plus voiced alveolar fricative to avoid a clipped ending.
In US English, /ˈtɑːk.sɪnz/ or /ˈtɑːk.sɪnz/, with rhoticity affecting vowel length slightly and the 't' pronounced crisply. UK English tends toward /ˈtɒk.sɪnz/ with a shorter /ɒ/ and non-rhoticity, though some speakers use /ˈtɒk.sɪnz/ with minimal r-sound. Australian English typically uses /ˈtɒk.sɪnz/ with broad /ɒ/ and less rhotic emphasis; some speakers may have a lighter /ɪ/ in the second syllable. Across accents, the main differences are vowel quality in the first syllable and the rhoticity, not the consonant cluster.
Its difficulty comes from the short, lax vowel in the second syllable and the final /nz/ cluster, which requires precise timing to avoid an extra vowel. The sequence /k/ + /s/ can blur in rapid speech, and the /ɪ/ in the second syllable may be reduced to a schwa in connected speech. Also, the trailing /nz/ can be mistaken for /nz/ or /n/ depending on tempo. Focusing on keeping a distinct /k/ before the /s/ and a clear /nz/ helps clarity.
Yes: the final consonant cluster /nz/ often challenges speaker control. You want a sharp /n/ followed by a voiced /z/ without swallowing or nasalization spillover from the previous /s/. Also, ensure you release the final /z/ clearly, not turning it into /n/ or /s/ alone. Practicing with a mirrored mouth position helps confirm a clean articulation of the /nz/ sequence.
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The word toxin originates from the Greek τοξικόν (toxikon), meaning ‘bow poison’ or ‘poison for arrows,’ from τοξикός (toxikos) ‘poisoned’ and τοξον (toxον) ‘bow’ or ‘arrow’. In classical texts, toxikon pharmakon referred to arrow poisons. In English, toxin appeared in the 17th century, initially to describe any poisonous substance and later narrowed to biologically produced poisons or harmful toxins in medicine. The root concept spans ancient pharmacology to modern toxicology, where toxins are categorized by source (endogenous vs exogenous) and mechanism (neurotoxic, hepatotoxic, etc.). The term has evolved with advances in biochemistry and molecular biology: from broad poison to precise descriptors of toxins produced by organisms (including bacteria, plants, and animals) and synthetic hazardous compounds. Today, 'toxin' commonly contrasts with 'toxicant' in some disciplines, while many contexts use toxins as a standard label for biologically derived poisons or harmful molecules. First known use in English traces to early modern medical texts that described venomous substances as toxins, gradually adopting the broader, contemporary meaning aligned with toxicology and public health discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "toxins"
-ins sounds
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