How to pronounce ruthenium
Say it like roo-THEE-nee-um. Ruthenium has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce ruthenium. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- roo
- THEE
- nee
- um
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ruthenium pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- rooKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
- THEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- neeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- umKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of ruthenium
American and British speakers say ruthenium in essentially the same way: /ruˈθiniəm/ in the US and /ruːˈθiːniəm/ in the UK.
British respelling: roo-THEE-nee-um.
What does ruthenium mean?
- A metallic chemical element (symbol Ru) with an atomic number of 44.“Their latest catalyst includes some ruthenium.”
- An atom of this element.“This reaction substitutes a ruthenium for an osmium.”
Where does ruthenium come from?
Ruthenia + -ium. Named by Baltic German scientist Karl Ernst Claus in 1844 in honor of Russia (using the Latin name Ruthenia).
Words that rhyme with ruthenium
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ruthenium.
Questions about saying ruthenium
How do you pronounce ruthenium?
Say roo-THEE-nee-um. The American pronunciation is /ruˈθiniəm/. In British English it is /ruːˈθiːniəm/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ruthenium?
Ruthenium has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (THEE). Broken into parts: roo · THEE · nee · um.
Do Americans and Brits say ruthenium the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ruˈθiniəm/ and the British form is /ruːˈθiːniəm/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.