How to Pronounce Vasectomy

Vasectomy is pronounced vah-SEK-toh-mee. The stress (or emphasis) falls on the second syllable: SEK. Say it like you're saying "vah" (rhymes with "spa"), then "SEK" (rhymes with "check"), then "toh-mee" (like "toe" plus "me").

Many people stress the wrong syllable and say vah-sek-TAH-mee or vuh-SEK-tuh-mee. The correct way puts the stress on the second syllable: vah-SEK-toh-mee. Remember: SEK gets the emphasis, not the last part.

Vasectomy has four syllables: vas-ec-to-my. When you say it, it should flow smoothly as vah-SEK-toh-mee, with the strongest emphasis on that second syllable.

Vasectomy comes from two Latin and Greek parts: "vas" means a tube or duct in the body, and "-ectomy" is a suffix meaning "surgical removal or cutting of." So the word literally means "cutting of the tube."

Many surgical words end in -ectomy, such as appendectomy (removal of the appendix) and tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils). They all follow the same pattern: a body part plus -ectomy means a surgery to remove or cut that part.

You could call it a "minor surgical procedure for male birth control" or simply "a tube-cutting surgery." It's a straightforward medical term, so most doctors and healthcare workers just use the word vasectomy directly.

Sure! Here's an example: "My friend decided to have a vasectomy after his family was complete." Or: "The doctor explained how a vasectomy works during the consultation."

Vasectomy is sometimes shortened to "V" in medical charts or casual conversation, but the full word vasectomy is almost always used in medical settings and is the standard way to refer to this procedure.