How to Pronounce Exophthalmos
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Exophthalmos Pronunciation
ek-sof-THAL-mohs
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
ek
sof
THAL
stress here
mohs
4 syllables
What is Exophthalmos?
Protrusion or bulging of one or both eyeballs beyond the normal position within the eye socket, most classically caused by Graves' disease due to immune-mediated swelling of the orbital tissues behind the eye. Severe cases can threaten vision by stretching the optic nerve or exposing the cornea.
Questions About Exophthalmos
How do you pronounce exophthalmos?
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Say it like this: ek-sof-THAL-mohs. The stress falls on the third syllable, THAL, which you say a bit louder and longer than the others. The first part sounds like "ek" (like in "echo"), then "sof" (rhymes with "off"), then the stressed THAL, and finally "mohs" at the end.
What's the most common way people mispronounce this word?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say ex-OFF-thal-mos or ex-oph-THAL-mos, but the correct stress is on the third syllable: ek-sof-THAL-mohs. Another common mistake is rushing through the "sof" part and making it sound like "eks-op," which changes the whole rhythm of the word.
How do you break exophthalmos into syllables?
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Break it into four syllables: ex-oph-thal-mos. Think of it as: EX (the prefix) + OPHTHAL (the root about the eye) + MOS (the ending that makes it a noun).
Where does the word exophthalmos come from?
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It comes from two Greek word parts: "exo" means "out" or "outward," and "ophthalmos" means "eye." Put together, exophthalmos literally means "eye out," which describes the main feature of this condition.
What does exophthalmos mean in plain English?
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It means the eyeballs are bulging or sticking out more than normal. Instead of sitting neatly back in the eye socket where they belong, one or both eyes appear to be pushing forward.
Are there other medical words that use the root 'ophthalmos'?
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Yes! "Ophthalmology" is the medical specialty that studies the eye, an "ophthalmologist" is an eye doctor, and "ophthalmoscope" is a tool used to look inside the eye. All of these words share the Greek root "ophthalmos," which means "eye."
Can you use exophthalmos in a sentence?
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Here's an example: "The patient presented with exophthalmos in both eyes." Or: "The doctor noticed the exophthalmos and ordered tests to find the cause." The word is used as a noun to describe the condition itself.
Is there a shorter way to say exophthalmos?
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It's sometimes shortened to just "exophth" in very informal medical writing, but this abbreviation is not standard. Most medical professionals say or write out the full word exophthalmos, or they might use the simpler phrase "eye bulging" when talking to patients.