How to Pronounce Pyloric Stenosis
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Pyloric Stenosis Pronunciation
py-LOR-ik steh-NOH-sis
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
py
LOR
stress here
ik steh
NOH
stress here
sis
5 syllables
What is Pyloric Stenosis?
A condition in infants in which the muscle surrounding the outlet of the stomach (the pylorus) thickens abnormally, narrowing the opening and blocking food from passing into the small intestine. It typically causes forceful, projectile vomiting in babies 2–8 weeks old and is corrected with surgery.
Questions About Pyloric Stenosis
How do you pronounce 'pyloric stenosis'?
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Say it like this: py-LOR-ik steh-NOH-sis. The stress falls on the second part of the first word (LOR) and the second part of the second word (NOH). It might help to say it in two chunks: "py-LOR-ik" and then "steh-NOH-sis."
What are the syllables in 'pyloric stenosis'?
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"Pyloric" breaks into four syllables: py-LOR-ic. "Stenosis" breaks into four syllables: sten-OH-sis. Together that's eight syllables total.
Which syllable gets the stress in 'pyloric'?
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The second syllable gets the stress: py-**LOR**-ic. A common mistake is putting the stress on the first syllable (PY-lor-ic), but that's incorrect. Remember: the "LOR" part is the loud part.
What does 'pylorus' mean, and where does that word come from?
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"Pylorus" comes from Greek and means "gatekeeper" or "gate." It refers to the muscle at the exit of the stomach that acts like a gate, controlling food flow into the small intestine. The word part "pylor-" means gate, and "-ic" means "related to," so "pyloric" means "related to the gate of the stomach."
What does 'stenosis' mean?
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"Stenosis" comes from Greek and means "narrowing." It's used in medicine to describe any place in the body where an opening or channel becomes abnormally narrow. The root "sten-" means narrow, and "-osis" means condition or abnormal state.
Are there other medical words that use 'stenosis'?
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Yes! You'll hear "stenosis" in words like aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve), spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), and mitral stenosis (narrowing of the mitral valve). The word "stenosis" always refers to some kind of abnormal narrowing.
What does 'pyloric stenosis' mean in plain English?
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It simply means an abnormal narrowing of the gate-like muscle at the exit of the stomach. Think of it as the stomach's door getting too thick and blocking the opening, so food can't pass through properly.
What's the short way to say 'pyloric stenosis'?
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Doctors sometimes shorten it to just "pyloric" or refer to it as "infantile pyloric stenosis" (since it happens in babies). You might also see the abbreviation "PS," though this is less common in everyday speech.
How would you use 'pyloric stenosis' in a simple sentence?
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You might say: "The doctor explained that pyloric stenosis affects the muscle that controls the opening of the stomach" or "Pyloric stenosis is named for the two parts involved: the pylorus and a narrowing called stenosis."