Mar 20 2025 9 mins
We continue working our way through the alphabet in my drug pronunciation series. We’re on the letter “K,” and today’s drug is ketamine.
In this episode, I divide ketamine into syllables, tell you which syllable to emphasize, and share my sources. Written pronunciations are helpful, so look below for the written pronunciation. Once you’ve listened to this episode, practice saying ketamine. Repetition is the key to mastery.
Ketamine = KEH-tuh-meen
- Keh, like keg
- Tuh, like tug
- And meen, as in, “Bullies are mean!”
- Emphasize KEH.
- Sources: My clinical experience as a pharmacist, Google, and m-w.com. I like how Google and M-W divide the syllables and pronounce the drug name.
Thank you for listening to episode 322 of The Pharmacist’s Voice ® Podcast. The FULL show notes (including all links) are on https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast. Select episode 322.
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Why do few generic drug names start with “K?"
Did you know that the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council advises against using the letter "K" in generic drug names? Some languages struggle with pronouncing “K.” In fact, four letters are generally avoided in naming drugs: H, J, K, and W. While the USAN guideline applies to generic drug names, brand-name drugs also tend to avoid these letters.
A Fun Thought Experiment
If you’ve ever been told not to do something and immediately wanted to do it, you’re not alone! Just for fun, I combined all four of the "forbidden letters" into a made-up drug name: Jawkherol Sounds like a treatment for TMJ, doesn’t it?
Common Mispronunciations to Avoid
Some sources—including YouTube videos with thousands of views—incorrectly pronounce ketamine. Here are three examples of how NOT to say it:
- KET-a-MIN
- ket-a-MEEN
- KEET-a-meen
Mispronunciations can lead to confusion, especially for non-native English speakers or healthcare professionals giving presentations. That’s why I create these episodes—to combat misinformation and make learning drug names easier. Thanks for listening!
Recommend a drug name for this series via email: [email protected]
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Host Background: Kim Newlove has been an Ohio pharmacist since 2001 (BS Pharm, Chem Minor). Her experience includes hospital, retail, compounding, and behavioral health. She is also an author, voice actor (medical narrator and audiobook narrator), podcast host, and consultant (audio production and podcasting).
Links from this episode
USP Dictionary Online (Subscription-based resource)
USP Dictionary’s pronunciation guide (Free resource, American Medical Association’s website)
Merriam Webster’s Dictionary online https://www.m-w.com
USAN Naming Guidelines https://www.ama-assn.org/about/united-states-adopted-names/united-states-adopted-names-naming-guidelines
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Thank you for listening to episode 322 of The Pharmacist’s Voice ® Podcast. If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!