Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

melatonin

/ˌmɛləˈtoʊnɪn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.96 in modern English

Syllables: mela-tonin
IPA: /ˌmɛləˈtoʊnɪn/

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A hormone, related to serotonin, that is secreted by the pineal gland, and stimulates colour change in the skin of reptiles, and is involved in the sleep and wake and reproductive cycles in mammals.

Uncountable

noun

Any material similar in its chemistry and effect to the natural hormone.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"How exactly melatonin relates to sleep is still not understood."
"Melatonin production can be delayed or arrested by even brief flashes of bright light entering the eye, research has shown."

Etymology

From mela- + tone + -in, ultimately from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”).

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: μέλας

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌmɛləˈtoʊnɪn/
British English: /ˌmɛləˈtəʊnɪn/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

melatonins (plural)

Derived Forms

melatonergic

Rhymes With

serotonin cronin ronin bonin

Questions

How do you pronounce melatonin?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌmɛləˈtoʊnɪn/.
What does melatonin mean?: A hormone, related to serotonin, that is secreted by the pineal gland, and stimulates colour change in the skin of reptiles, and is involved in the sleep and wake and reproductive cycles in mammals.
Where does melatonin come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce melatonin

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “melatonin”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌmɛləˈtoʊnɪn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “melatonin”.
Repeat and practice — Say “melatonin” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.