How to Pronounce Autoimmune Diabetes

Say it like this: 'aw-toh-ih-MYOON dy-ah-BEE-teez.' The stress falls on the third part, MYOON, which rhymes with 'moon.' Think of it as 'auto' (like automatic), then 'immune' (like your body's defense system), then 'diabetes' (the main condition).

The 'MYOON' part of 'immune' gets the strong stress—that's the loudest part. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable and saying 'AW-toh-immune diabetes,' but that's not correct.

Break it like this: au-to-im-mune. That's four syllables, with the stress on the 'MYOON' part at the end. The 'au' sounds like 'aw,' the 'to' rhymes with 'go,' and 'im' sounds like 'im' in 'impossible.'

'Auto' is a Greek prefix meaning 'self,' and 'immune' comes from Latin and relates to the body's defense system. So 'autoimmune' literally means the immune system is acting against itself.

It's a type of diabetes where the body's own defense system mistakenly attacks the cells that make insulin. Instead of protecting you, your immune system turns against part of your own body.

Yes, doctors often call it type 1 diabetes or T1D for short. You might also hear LADA, which stands for 'latent autoimmune diabetes in adults'—that's another type of autoimmune diabetes.

You'll hear 'autoimmune' with many other conditions, like autoimmune thyroiditis or autoimmune hepatitis. In each case, it means the immune system is attacking that particular part of the body.

Sure: 'Autoimmune diabetes happens when the immune system damages the cells that normally produce insulin.' You could also say: 'She was diagnosed with autoimmune diabetes, which is different from other types.'