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How to Pronounce Buprenorphine (Suboxone)

Q: How many syllables are in Buprenorphine?

Buprenorphine has 4 syllables: byoo - preh - nor - feen.

Q: What does Buprenorphine mean?

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist and partial kappa antagonist used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Its ceiling effect on respiratory depression makes it safer than full opioid agonists. It is combined with naloxone in Suboxone to deter misuse.

byoo-preh-NOR-feen

IPA: /bjuː.prɛ.ˈnɔːr.fiːn/

Brand names: Suboxone, Buprenex, Butrans

byoo preh NOR feen

How do you pronounce Buprenorphine?

Buprenorphine is pronounced “byoo-preh-NOR-feen”. It has 4 syllables: byoo ‑ preh ‑ nor ‑ feen. The stress falls on the third syllable, “nor”.

How many syllables are in Buprenorphine?

Buprenorphine has 4 syllables: byoo ‑ preh ‑ nor ‑ feen.

What does Buprenorphine mean?

Buprenorphine is a partial mu-opioid agonist and kappa-opioid antagonist used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder and for chronic pain management. Its partial agonism creates a ceiling effect on respiratory depression, making it safer than full opioids. Combined with naloxone (as Suboxone), it deters injection misuse. It is also available as a transdermal patch (Butrans) for chronic pain.

Word Parts

prefix bu- butyl chemical group in structure

root -nor- derived from nor-morphine (demethylated)

suffix -orphine opioid (morphine-derived class)

Common Mispronunciations

Often said "boo-PRE-nor-feen" or "byoo-pren-OR-feen" — stress is on NOR: byoo-preh-NOR-feen

Where You'll Encounter This

Opioid use disorder, chronic pain. Partial opioid agonist — ceiling effect on respiratory depression. Suboxone combines buprenorphine with naloxone to deter injection misuse.