How to Pronounce Congenital Cataract

Say it like this: kon-JEN-ih-tal KAT-ah-rakt. The first word rhymes with 'congeal' but with a 'kon' sound at the start. The second word sounds like 'cataract,' which you might hear in nature documentaries. The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word: kon-JEN-ih-tal.

'Congenital' simply means something you are born with or that shows up very early in life. It comes from Latin words meaning 'born together' — the condition was there from birth, not something that developed later.

'Congenital' has four syllables: con-GEN-i-tal. 'Cataract' has three syllables: CAT-a-ract. So the full term has seven syllables total.

In 'congenital,' stress the second syllable: kon-JEN-ih-tal. In 'cataract,' stress the first syllable: KAT-ah-rakt. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable of congenital (CON-jen-i-tal), which is incorrect.

'Cataract' refers to cloudiness in the eye's lens. The word comes from an old Greek word that originally meant 'waterfall,' because early doctors thought a cloudy cataract looked like water falling down inside the eye.

'Congenital' breaks down into two Latin parts: 'con-' means 'with' or 'together,' and 'genital' comes from 'genitus,' which means 'born.' Together they mean 'born with' or 'present from birth.'

You might hear 'congenital heart disease' or 'congenital disorder' — they all use 'congenital' to mean the condition was present at birth. The word 'genesis' (meaning origin or creation) shares the same Latin root 'gen-' meaning 'to be born.'

Sure! Here's an example: 'The ophthalmologist explained that the baby's eye condition was a congenital cataract, meaning the cloudiness had been there since birth.' This shows how the term describes something present from the very beginning.