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The word prion, coined in 1982 by Stanley B. Prusiner, is a portmanteau derived from protein and infection, hence prion, and is short for "proteinaceous infectious particle", in reference to its ability to self-propagate and transmit its conformation to other proteins. Its main pronunciation is /ˈpriːɒn/,  although /ˈpraɪɒn/, as the homographic name of the bird (prions or whalebirds) is pronounced, is also heard. In his 1982 paper introducing the term, Prusiner specified that it be "pronounced pree-on."

The word prion, coined in 1982 by Stanley B. Prusiner, is a portmanteau derived from protein and infection, hence prion, and is short for "proteinaceous infectious particle", in reference to its ability to self-propagate and transmit its conformation to other proteins. Its main pronunciation is /ˈpriːɒn/,  although /ˈpraɪɒn/, as the homographic name of the bird (prions or whalebirds) is pronounced, is also heard. In his 1982 paper introducing the term, Prusiner specified that it be "pronounced pree-on."