How to Pronounce Ethosuximide

Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling

Ethosuximide Pronunciation

eth-oh-SUK-sih-myd

Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables

Syllable Breakdown

eth

SUK

stress here

sih

myd

5 syllables

What is Ethosuximide?

Ethosuximide is used to control absence seizures (petit mal) (a type of seizure in which there is a very short loss of awareness during which the person may stare straight ahead or blink his eyes and does not respond to others). Ethosuximide is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. It works by reducing abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Definition sourced from MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

Questions About Ethosuximide

How do you pronounce ethosuximide?

Ethosuximide is pronounced ETH-oh-SUK-sih-myd. Start with "eth" (rhymes with "breath"), then say "oh" like the letter O, followed by "suk" (rhymes with "book"), then "ih" (a short "i" sound), and finish with "myd" (rhymes with "hid"). The stress falls on the third syllable: SUK.

How many syllables does ethosuximide have?

Ethosuximide has five syllables: eth-oh-SUK-sih-myd. Breaking it into chunks like this makes the long word easier to say out loud.

Which syllable gets the stress in ethosuximide?

The third syllable, SUK, gets the stress: eth-oh-SUK-sih-myd. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable (ETH-oh-suk-sih-myd) or the last one (eth-oh-suk-sih-MYD), but SUK is the one you should emphasize.

What is a common mispronunciation of ethosuximide?

Many people say eth-oh-SOOK-see-myd (with a long "oo" and "ee" sound) instead of the correct eth-oh-SUK-sih-myd. Remember to use short vowel sounds in the middle syllables to say it correctly.

Can you use ethosuximide in a sentence?

Here's an example: "The neurologist prescribed ethosuximide, so the patient needed to learn how to pronounce the medication name correctly when refilling it at the pharmacy."

Is there a shorter way to say ethosuximide?

Ethosuximide is usually said as its full name in medical settings, though the abbreviation ESM is sometimes used in writing. In conversation, you'll almost always hear the complete word: ethosuximide.

What does the ending '-imide' sound like in ethosuximide?

The ending '-imide' is pronounced like "ih-myd," with a short "i" sound followed by "myd" (which rhymes with "hid"). This same ending appears in other medication names too, so learning it once helps you with multiple drug names.