How to Pronounce Chordae Tendineae

Say it like this: KOR-dee ten-DIN-ee-ee. The first part "KOR-dee" rhymes with "corny," and the second part "ten-DIN-ee-ee" sounds like "ten" + "DIN" (rhymes with "tin") + "ee-ee." The stress falls on the first syllable: KOR-dee.

Many people stress the wrong syllable and say ten-DIN-ee-ee first, or they pronounce it like "chord" (as in a musical chord) instead of KOR-dee. The correct way puts the emphasis on KOR at the beginning, not on DIN in the middle.

Break it into five syllables: KOR-day TEN-din-ee-ee. Some people say it as four syllables (KOR-day TEN-DIN-ee) depending on how quickly they speak, but five is the most accurate way.

Chordae comes from Latin and means "strings" or "cords." It's the plural form, so one string would be "chorda." That's why these structures are sometimes called heartstrings—they literally look and act like tiny strings inside the heart.

Tendineae is also Latin and means "relating to tendons." Even though chordae tendineae aren't true tendons, they work similarly by anchoring one part to another, which is why they have "tendineae" in their name.

Think of them as "heartstrings"—tiny fibrous cords inside the heart that act like support cables, keeping the heart valves in the right position. They're similar to strings on a puppet that control how the valves move.

Here's an example: "The doctor explained that the chordae tendineae are important structures that help the heart valves work properly." You might hear this term in anatomy class, cardiology discussions, or when learning about how the heart functions.

Yes! "Tendon" comes from the same Latin root as tendineae, and "chord" or "chorda" appears in medical terms like "spinal cord" (though spinal cord uses a different root). Understanding these roots helps you remember that chordae tendineae are cord-like structures related to tendons.