How to Pronounce Cerebral Vasculitis

Cerebral vasculitis is pronounced seh-REE-bral vas-kyoo-LY-tis. The stress falls on the second syllable of "cerebral" (REE) and the third syllable of "vasculitis" (LY). If you say it slowly, it sounds like: seh-REE-brul (pause) vas-kyoo-LY-tis.

Many people stress the first syllable and say SER-ee-bral instead of seh-REE-bral, or they rush through vasculitis and say vas-koo-LY-tis without the "yoo" sound. The "yoo" in the middle of vasculitis is important—it sounds like you're saying "vascular" but with an "itis" ending.

Cerebral breaks into three syllables: ce-RE-bral. Vasculitis breaks into four syllables: vas-cu-LI-tis. Together, the full phrase has seven syllables: ce-RE-bral vas-cu-LI-tis.

Vasculitis comes from two Latin/medical roots: "vasculo" (or "vascular"), which means blood vessel, and "-itis," which means inflammation. So vasculitis literally means "inflammation of blood vessels." When you add "cerebral" (relating to the brain), you get inflammation of blood vessels in the brain.

Cerebral (seh-REE-bral) is an adjective that means "relating to the brain." It comes from the Latin word "cerebrum," which is the main part of the brain. You might hear it used in everyday language too, like "cerebral person" meaning someone who thinks a lot.

Several medical words use the "cerebr-" root: cerebrum (the main part of the brain), cerebrospinal (relating to the brain and spinal cord), and cerebral palsy (a neurological condition). All of these words are about the brain or something connected to it.

The suffix "-itis" appears in many medical words and always means inflammation: arthritis (inflammation of joints), meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain), and bronchitis (inflammation of the airways). Once you recognize "-itis," you know the word is about inflammation somewhere in the body.

You might say: "The doctor explained that cerebral vasculitis affects the blood vessels in the brain" or "Her headaches were caused by cerebral vasculitis." The word is used as a medical term to name a specific condition, just like you'd say "the flu" or "diabetes."