How to Pronounce Pneumococcal Pneumonia
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Pneumococcal Pneumonia Pronunciation
noo-moh-KOK-ul noo-MOH-nyah
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
noo
moh
KOK
stress here
ul noo
MOH
stress here
nyah
6 syllables
What is Pneumococcal Pneumonia?
Pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus), the most common bacterial cause of community-acquired pneumonia, causing typical bacterial pneumonia with abrupt onset of fever, chills, productive cough, and chest pain. Vaccination is available and effective.
Questions About Pneumococcal Pneumonia
How do you pronounce pneumococcal pneumonia?
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Say it like this: noo-moh-KOK-ul noo-MOH-nyah. The stress (loud part) falls on KOK in the first word and MOH in the second word. If you break it down slowly, it's noo-moh-KOK-ul (four syllables) followed by noo-MOH-nyah (three syllables).
What part of 'pneumococcal pneumonia' should I emphasize when speaking?
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Stress the KOK syllable in "pneumococcal" and the MOH syllable in "pneumonia." A common mistake is putting the stress on the first syllable (NEW-moh-cock-ul), but the correct way puts it in the middle of each word.
How many syllables does 'pneumococcal' have?
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"Pneumococcal" has four syllables: noo-moh-KOK-ul. The first syllable (noo) is quiet, the second is quiet, the third (KOK) is loud, and the fourth (ul) is quiet again.
What does 'pneumo-' mean in pneumococcal pneumonia?
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The prefix "pneumo-" comes from Greek and means "air" or "lung." It appears in many medical words related to the lungs and breathing, like pneumonia and pneumothorax.
What does 'coccal' mean in pneumococcal?
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The word part "-coccal" comes from the Greek word "coccus," which means a round, ball-shaped germ or bacterium. "Pneumococcal" literally means a round germ that affects the lungs.
Is there a shorter way to say pneumococcal pneumonia?
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Yes, doctors sometimes shorten it to "pneumococcal PNA" or just "pneumococcal" when the context is clear. The abbreviation PNA stands for pneumonia, pronounced P-N-A.
What is the plain English meaning of pneumococcal pneumonia?
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In everyday terms, it's a lung infection caused by a specific type of round bacterium. It's one of the most common types of bacterial lung infections people get in their communities.
What other medical words share the 'pneumo-' root?
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Several words use "pneumo-": pneumonia (lung infection), pneumothorax (collapsed lung), and pneumonitis (lung inflammation). They all relate to the lungs or air spaces in the body.
How would I use this term in a sentence?
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You might hear: "The patient was diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia after a chest X-ray." Or: "Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common type of bacterial lung infection acquired outside of a hospital."