4 syllables: Ven, la, fax, ine. Stress on fax.
ven-LAF-ak-sin
/vɛnˈlæfæksɪn/
Venlafaxine is pronounced ven-LAF-ak-sin (/vɛnˈlæfæksɪn/). It has four syllables (Ven-la-fax-ine), with the stress on "fax". Venlafaxine is a prescription antidepressant in the SNRI class. It modulates serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine activity to help alleviate major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. Commonly prescribed in tablet form, it is taken daily and requires gradual dose adjustments under medical supervision.
nounVenlafaxine is a prescription antidepressant in the SNRI class. It modulates serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine activity to help alleviate major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. Commonly prescribed in tablet form, it is taken daily and requires gradual dose adjustments under medical supervision.
Tips: speak slowly at first, chunk ven-LAY-fax-een, then blend. Record and compare with dictionaries and native speaker samples. Practice with minimal pairs: ven-LAY / ven-LAS? Avoid redundant attempts. Focus on mouth shapes: lips rounded slightly for /eɪ/, tongue blade for /l/ and /f/ cluster; jaw drop should align with /æ/ in the third syllable. Then, practice natural connections in phrases like “venlafaxine dosage.”
"The patient was started on venlafaxine after insufficient response to an SSRI."
"Physicians monitor blood pressure because venlafaxine can raise it at higher doses."
"Venlafaxine can take several weeks to reach full therapeutic effect."
Pronounce ven-LA-fax-ine with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA US: /vɛnˈleɪ.fæksiːn/; UK/AUS: /venˈleɪ.fæk.siːn/. Start with ven (ven) as in vent, la as in lay, fax as in fax, -ine ending like scene without the s. Move mouth from a light V to a open-mid front vowel, then a rhotacized end? Not exactly; the final -ine is /iːn/. Audio reference: check medical pronunciation resources or a reputable dictionary app for the exact audio clip (e.g., Cambridge, Oxford).
Common errors: stressing the wrong syllable (veN-LA-fax-ine vs ven-LA-fax-ine), mispronouncing the middle vowel as /eɪ/ in lay rather than /eɪ/; misplacing the final -ine as /ɪn/ or /ən/. Correction: keep /ˈleɪ/ in the second syllable, ensure the final -ine is /iːn/ and not /ɪn/. Practice with slow enunciation: ven-LAY-fax-een, then smooth to ven-LAY-fax-een in connected speech.
US: /vɛnˈleɪ.fæks.iːn/ with clearer /iːn/ at the end; UK/AU: /venˈleɪ.fæk.siːn/ featuring a slightly shorter /æ/ in the first syllable and a more clipped middle syllable. The rhotic US pronunciation may color the final /iːn/ with a more centralized vowel in rapid speech. In all accents, the stress remains on syllable 2; the key variance is vowel length and the /ks/ cluster in the third syllable.
Difficult due to the long, multi-syllabic structure and the mid-word cluster /lfæx/ with a difficult blend of /l/ + /f/ + /æ/ + /ks/. The final -ine /iːn/ contrasts with many listeners’ expectations from English spellings ending in -ine. Practice by segmenting: ven-LAY-fax-een; ensure the /æ/ in the third syllable is open and the /ks/ is not split or glided. Use deliberate mouth positions and slow tempo to solidify the sequence.
No fully silent letters, but some speakers reduce vocal effort in casual speech: the initial /v/ is voiced, not silent; the /l/ is fully pronounced, and the /æ/ in the third syllable often remains distinct. The only subtle variation is vowel length of /eɪ/ in the second syllable; some speakers may reduce slightly in rapid speech, but it remains recognizable as /leɪ/. Emphasize all syllables in careful speech: ven-LAY-fax-een.
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Venlafaxine derives from the antibiotic-like suffix -fexine historically used in antidepressants, though its exact branding origin is from the early 1990s pharmaceutical naming conventions. The root shows an amalgamation of “ven” (from venous, not clinically relevant here) and “lafaxine,” likely inspired by complex-sounding morphologies common in SNRI antidepressants. The first known use in medical literature appears in the early 1990s as researchers categorized venlafaxine as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). Over time, the term became a generic drug name, with brand names such as Effexor in the United States. Its acceptance grew as pharmacological profiling clarified its dual and later triadic neurotransmitter effects. The word’s phonological pattern mirrors many long, multi-syllabic antidepressants designed to convey potency and scientific precision. In usage, venlafaxine moved from clinical trial nomenclature to a standard pharmacological term common in prescription records and patient information leaflets. The evolution of the term reflects pharmaceutical marketing practices of balancing pronounceability with distinctive branding, resulting in a name that clinicians and patients can reference succinctly within medical discussions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Venlafaxine" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Venlafaxine"
-ven sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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