How to Pronounce Laryngomalacia
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Laryngomalacia Pronunciation
lah-ring-oh-mah-LAY-shee-ah
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
lah
ring
oh
mah
LAY
stress here
shee
ah
7 syllables
What is Laryngomalacia?
The most common cause of noisy breathing (stridor) in infants, in which the supraglottic tissues (the structures above the vocal cords, particularly the epiglottis and arytenoids) are abnormally soft and floppy, collapsing into the airway with each breath in. Most infants improve on their own by 18–24 months as the laryngeal structures mature, but severe cases causing feeding difficulties or oxygen desaturation require surgical intervention (supraglottoplasty).
Questions About Laryngomalacia
How do you pronounce laryngomalacia?
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Laryngomalacia is pronounced lah-ring-oh-mah-LAY-shee-ah. The stress falls on the fourth syllable, which is "LAY." If you break it into chunks, think of it like: lah-RING-oh-mah-LAY-shee-ah, where "RING" and "LAY" are the loudest parts.
What does the word laryngomalacia break down into?
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The word has two main parts: "laryngo-" which refers to the larynx (the voice box), and "-malacia" which is a medical suffix meaning abnormal softness. So the word literally means "softness of the larynx."
What is a common mispronunciation of laryngomalacia?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say lar-in-go-ma-LAY-shuh or emphasize "RING" too heavily. The correct stress is on "LAY"—the fourth syllable—so it should sound like lah-ring-oh-mah-LAY-shee-ah.
How many syllables does laryngomalacia have?
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Laryngomalacia has six syllables: lar-yn-go-ma-la-cia. When you say it slowly, you can hear each part separately, which makes it easier to remember the correct pronunciation.
What does the suffix '-malacia' mean?
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The suffix "-malacia" comes from Greek and means abnormal softness or softening of a body part. You'll see this suffix in other medical words too, like "tracheomalacia" (softness of the windpipe) and "osteomalacia" (softness of the bones).
What does 'laryngo-' refer to?
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"Laryngo-" is a prefix that refers to the larynx, which is your voice box located in your throat. This prefix appears in other medical words like "laryngitis" (inflammation of the voice box) and "laryngoscope" (a tool doctors use to look at the voice box).
Can you use laryngomalacia in a simple sentence?
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Sure! Here's an example: "The doctor explained that the infant's noisy breathing pattern was caused by laryngomalacia." Or: "Laryngomalacia is a condition that affects the structures around the voice box."
Is there a short form or abbreviation for laryngomalacia?
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Yes, doctors sometimes abbreviate it as LM. However, the full term "laryngomalacia" is used most often in medical writing and conversation, so it's good to know how to say the complete word.