4 syllables: Zi, do, vu, dine. Stress on vu.
zid-oh-VYOO-deen
/zɪ doʊ ˈvjuː diːn/
Zidovudine is pronounced zid-oh-VYOO-deen (/zɪ doʊ ˈvjuː diːn/). It has four syllables (Zi-do-vu-dine), with the stress on "vu". Zidovudine is an antiretroviral medication used to treat HIV/AIDS, functioning as a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. It interferes with viral DNA synthesis, helping to reduce viral replication. The term refers to the drug itself, not a general word, and is typically encountered in medical and pharmaceutical contexts.
nounZidovudine is an antiretroviral medication used to treat HIV/AIDS, functioning as a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. It interferes with viral DNA synthesis, helping to reduce viral replication. The term refers to the drug itself, not a general word, and is typically encountered in medical and pharmaceutical contexts.
How to Pronounce Zidovudine
"The patient was prescribed zidovudine as part of combination antiretroviral therapy."
"Researchers studied zidovudine’s efficacy in treating HIV with various dosing regimens."
"Pharmacists provided instructions on zidovudine administration and potential side effects."
Break it into four parts: zi-DO-vu-dine. Primary stress on the second syllable: /ˌzɪ.doʊˈvjuː.dɪn/ (US, UK: /ˌzɪ.dəˈvjuː.din/). Start with a light ‘z’ plus short i, open mid vowels, then a confident 'do' or 'du' before the 'vine' sound. Think: ZIH-doh-VYOO-deen, with the emphasis on VYOO. Audio resources: YouGlish and medical diction guides can provide native-like intonation.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (trying to stress the first or third syllable), softening the long /juː/ to a simple /uː/ (ZIDO-vooden), and mishandling the final syllable as /-in/ instead of /-iːn/. Correct by stressing the second syllable and keeping /juː/ as in you, with a clear final /n/. Practice slow: /ˌzɪ.dəˈvjuː.dɪn/.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˌzɪ.doʊˈvjuː.din/ with /ˌzɪ/ on the first syllable and /ˈvjuː/ as a strong second syllable. UK pronunciation tends to a lighter first vowel and a more clipped /ˈvjuː.dɪn/. Australian speakers often retain the /ˈvjuː/ with slightly broader vowels and less rhoticity in some speakers. Keep the /juː/ sequence consistent across accents, but note syllable duration and voicing differences.
The difficulty lies in the multi-syllabic structure, the unfamiliar -vudine substring, and the bi-syllabic /juː/ sequence after a stressed syllable. The combined consonant-vowel transitions require precise tongue elevation: /d/ to /v/ and then /juː/. Practice with slow, segmented repetition, emphasizing the second syllable’s diphthong and the final nasal.
Does the 'vud' portion ever mute the /d/? In careful medical enunciation, you pronounce /ˈvjuː/ clearly; the /d/ remains before the final /ɪn/ to avoid slurring. So attention to the transition /d/ to /v/ is key even if the vowels blend, ensuring the 'd' sound doesn’t disappear.
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US: rhotics are pronounced; US tends to clearer /ɹ/ and a fuller /juː/. UK: non-rhotic or weak rhoticity; vowels slightly shorter and tenseness reduced. AU: similar to US but often broader vowel qualities and less pronounced rhotics in some dialects. IPA references: US /ˌzɪ.doʊˈvjuː.dɪn/; UK /ˌzɪ.dəˈvjuː.dɪn/; AU /ˌzɪ.dəˈvjuː.dɪn/. Focus on the /dɪn/ ending and the /vjuː/ cluster, keeping the diphthong intact across accents.
Zidovudine comes from the chemical name azidothymidine, formed by combining azido- with thymidine and adding the suffix -ine to denote a nucleoside analogue. The drug was developed in the 1960s–1980s during HIV/AIDS research and was marketed in the 1980s as AZT (3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine). The prefix azido- indicates a nitrogen-containing azido group; thymidine hints at its nucleoside structure related to thymine. Over time, zidovudine’s chemical class—a deoxynucleoside analogue—became foundational in antiretroviral therapy, and it stood as one of the first targeted therapies against HIV, signaling a shift toward mechanism-based treatment rather than broad-spectrum regimens. The first known use in medical literature traces to late 1980s drug development, with AZT approved by the FDA in 1987, marking a milestone in HIV treatment history and the ongoing evolution of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Zidovudine" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Zidovudine"
-ond sounds
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