How to Pronounce Tularemia Pneumonia

Tularemia is pronounced too-lah-REE-mee-ah, and pneumonia is pronounced noo-MOH-nyah. The stress falls on the third syllable of tularemia (REE) and the second syllable of pneumonia (MOH). Together, you say it as: too-lah-REE-mee-ah noo-MOH-nyah.

Tularemia breaks into five syllables: tu-lar-e-mi-a. It helps to say each part slowly: too-lahr-ee-mee-ah. Pneumonia breaks into four syllables: pneu-mo-ni-a, or noo-moh-nee-ah.

The third syllable, REE, gets the stress in tularemia: too-lah-REE-mee-ah. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable (TOO-lah-ree-mee-ah), but that's incorrect. Remember: the emphasis goes in the middle of the word.

Tularemia is named after Tulare County in California, where the disease was first discovered. The ending -emia means a condition or disease of the blood, so tularemia literally refers to a disease identified in that region. It's a modern medical term rather than one built from ancient Greek or Latin roots.

Tularemia pneumonia is a serious lung infection caused by a specific type of bacterium. In everyday terms, it's when a disease called tularemia affects the lungs and causes pneumonia. The two words together describe one serious respiratory condition, not two separate illnesses.

Pneumonia refers to an infection or inflammation of the lungs that fills them with fluid or pus. In tularemia pneumonia, it means the tularemia infection has spread to or affected the lungs specifically. The word pneumonia comes from the Greek word for lung.

Tularemia pneumonia is sometimes abbreviated as TP in medical writing, though it's not as commonly shortened as some other terms. You would still say the full words aloud in conversation: tularemia pneumonia.

Other medical conditions ending in -emia include bacteremia (bacteria in the blood) and viremia (viruses in the blood). Also, many lung conditions use pneumo-, like pneumothorax (collapsed lung). These shared word parts help doctors and medical workers communicate about different conditions.

You might read or hear: "The patient was diagnosed with tularemia pneumonia after exposure to contaminated aerosols." Or: "Tularemia pneumonia is a serious form of the disease that affects the respiratory system." The term describes the specific type of infection being discussed.