How to Pronounce Black Piedra
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Black Piedra Pronunciation
BLAK pee-AY-drah
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
BLAK pee
AY
stress here
drah
3 syllables
What is Black Piedra?
A fungal infection of the hair shaft caused by Piedraia hortae, forming hard, black nodules firmly attached to scalp hairs. It is found in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and South America and is treated by cutting the affected hair.
Questions About Black Piedra
How do you pronounce 'black piedra'?
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Say it like this: BLAK pee-AY-drah. The first word rhymes with 'back,' and the second word has the stress on the middle part—pee-AY-drah, not pee-ay-DRAH. Think of 'peek' for the first syllable of piedra, then 'ay' like the letter A, then 'drah' to finish.
Which syllable gets the stress in 'piedra'?
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The second syllable gets the stress: pee-AY-drah. A common mistake is putting the stress on the last syllable (pee-ay-DRAH), but that's incorrect. Remember: AY is the loudest part.
How do you break 'black piedra' into syllables?
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It breaks into four syllables total: BLAK / pee / AY / drah. The first word 'black' is just one syllable, and 'piedra' splits into three: pee-AY-drah.
What does 'piedra' mean in English?
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Piedra is a Spanish word meaning 'stone' or 'rock.' The term was named this way because of the hard, stone-like nodules that form as part of this condition.
Is there a short way to say or write 'black piedra'?
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Not really—doctors and scientists use the full term 'black piedra.' There isn't a common abbreviation for this condition like there is for some other medical terms.
What does the whole term 'black piedra' mean in plain English?
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The name describes exactly what you see: 'black' refers to the dark color of the nodules, and 'piedra' is Spanish for stone. Together, it simply means the condition with black stone-like formations on hair.
Are there related words that share 'piedra'?
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Yes—there's also 'white piedra,' which is a similar but different condition with lighter-colored nodules. Both words use 'piedra' because they both feature hard nodules on the hair shaft.
Can you use 'black piedra' in a sentence?
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Sure: 'The dermatologist explained that black piedra (BLAK pee-AY-drah) is more common in tropical climates.' This shows the word in a natural medical context.