The Medical Pronunciation Reference You Can Actually Use

Medical terminology is notoriously hard to pronounce. Words like cholecystitis, rhabdomyolysis, or onychomycosisstop most people cold. Patients leaving a doctor's appointment often can't recall the name of what they were diagnosed with, let alone spell or search for it.

MedicalWords.org is a free online medical dictionary focused on two things: how to say the word, and what it means. Every entry includes a clear phonetic pronunciation, an audio recording, and a plain-English definition.

We cover conditions and diseases, anatomy, procedures, diagnostic tests, symptoms, and more, organized by both term type and medical specialty.

Pronunciations. Every phonetic spelling follows one consistent system: syllables are separated by hyphens and the stressed syllable is written in capital letters, so met-FOR-min tells you exactly where the emphasis falls. Each term also has an audio recording produced with a single, clear voice, so the whole dictionary sounds consistent from word to word.

Definitions.Plain-English definitions draw on trusted public health sources, including MedlinePlus from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Where a definition comes from an outside source, we cite it and link to the original on that word's page so you can read further.

Our focus is language. We keep each entry centered on how to say a term and what it broadly means. We deliberately stay out of symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, which are the domain of a qualified healthcare professional, not a pronunciation guide.

Corrections. We maintain and expand the dictionary continuously. If you spot an error in a pronunciation or a definition, we want to know. Reach us any time through our Contact page.

MedicalWords.org is created and maintained by Brian Dempsey, founder of the digital studio BrightTribe. He built the site as a free public resource to help people confidently say and understand the medical words they run into at appointments, in coursework, and on paperwork.

It is a language and pronunciation resource, not a medical practice. The phonetic guides and audio are produced in-house using one consistent system, and the plain-English definitions draw on authoritative public sources such as MedlinePlus from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. For medical advice, always consult a qualified healthcare professional.