How to Pronounce “antihistamine”

American (US)

/ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/

British (UK)

/ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/

noun — A drug that counteracts the effects of a histamine. Commonly used to alleviate the symptoms of hay fever and other allergies.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “antihistamine” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “antihistamine” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "antihistamine" mean?

antihistamine (noun): A drug that counteracts the effects of a histamine. Commonly used to alleviate the symptoms of hay fever and other allergies.

How do you pronounce "antihistamine" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "antihistamine", /ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "antihistamine"?

/ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/ in American English, /ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "antihistamine"?

“antihistamine” has 5 syllables, and the transcription /ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the third one — so the third syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.