How to Pronounce Perichondritis
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Perichondritis Pronunciation
peh-rih-kon-DRY-tis
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
peh
rih
kon
DRY
stress here
tis
5 syllables
What is Perichondritis?
Infection of the perichondrium, the connective tissue surrounding the cartilage of the outer ear (auricle), usually caused by bacteria entering through a wound or piercing. It causes redness, swelling, and pain of the ear and requires prompt antibiotic treatment to prevent cartilage damage.
Questions About Perichondritis
How do you pronounce perichondritis?
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Say it like this: peh-rih-kon-DRY-tis. The stress falls on the third syllable, which is "kon." Think of it as "peh" (like the letter P), then "rih" (like the word "rib"), then "KON" (said loudly), then "dry" (like the opposite of wet), and finally "tis."
What is the most common mistake people make when saying perichondritis?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say "PER-ih-kon-dry-tis" or "per-ih-KON-dry-tis." The correct stress belongs on the third syllable: peh-rih-kon-DRY-tis. Remember that "dry" is the loud part!
How do you break perichondritis into syllables?
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Perichondritis has five syllables: per-i-chon-dri-tis. When you say it slowly, each syllable gets its own beat: PER (1), ih (2), KON (3), DRY (4), tis (5).
What do the word parts of perichondritis mean?
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Perichondritis comes from Greek roots. "Peri-" means "around," "chondro-" means "cartilage," and "-itis" means "inflammation or infection." So the word literally means "around the cartilage + inflammation," describing a problem with the tissue surrounding ear cartilage.
What is perichondritis in plain English?
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Perichondritis is an infection of the protective tissue that wraps around the cartilage in your outer ear. It's a condition affecting the ear itself, not the inside hearing part.
Are there other medical words that use the same "chondro" root?
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Yes! "Chondritis" means inflammation of cartilage, and "chondroma" is a type of cartilage growth. Both share the Greek word "chondro," which always refers to cartilage in medical terms.
How would you use perichondritis in a simple sentence?
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You might hear a doctor say: "The patient was referred to an ear specialist because of suspected perichondritis." This means the doctor thought there might be an infection of the tissue around the outer ear cartilage.
What does the suffix '-itis' mean in perichondritis?
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The suffix "-itis" always signals inflammation or infection in medical words. So whenever you see a medical term ending in "-itis," you know it refers to something being inflamed or infected, like bronchitis (inflamed airways) or arthritis (inflamed joints).