How to Pronounce Dura Mater

Say it like this: DOO-rah MAY-ter. The first word rhymes with "tour," and the second word sounds like "may" plus "ter." Put the stress on the first syllable of each word: DOO-rah and MAY-ter.

Both words are stressed on their first syllables. Say DOO-rah (not doo-RAH) and MAY-ter (not may-TER). A common mistake is stressing the second syllable of "dura," so make sure you emphasize the "DOO" sound at the beginning.

"Dura" breaks into two syllables: DU-RA. "Mater" also breaks into two syllables: MA-TER. Together it's DU-RA MA-TER, which gives you four syllables total.

The name literally means "tough mother" in Latin. It describes the strong, tough layer that acts like a protective covering around your brain and spinal cord, which is why it got that protective name.

Both parts are Latin words. "Dura" means "tough" or "hard," and "mater" means "mother." Ancient doctors named it this way because it's the toughest of the three protective layers surrounding your brain and spinal cord.

The other two protective layers around your brain are called the "arachnoid mater" (say: air-AK-noid MAY-ter) and the "pia mater" (say: PEE-uh MAY-ter). All three use the word "mater" because they are all membranes, or layers, that cover the brain.

Doctors often just call it the "dura" (DOO-rah). When you hear medical professionals use only that one word, they're referring to the dura mater.

Here's an example: "The dura mater is the outermost protective layer that surrounds the brain and spinal cord." This shows how the term is used when describing the anatomy of your nervous system.