How to Pronounce Nasal Septum

Say it like this: NAY-zal SEP-tum. The first word rhymes with 'say,' and the second word sounds like 'sep' (rhymes with 'pep') followed by 'tum' (rhymes with 'hum'). Put the stress on the first syllable of each word: NAY-zal and SEP-tum.

Many people say 'NAY-sul' instead of 'NAY-zal' for the first word—they use an 's' sound instead of a 'z' sound. The correct pronunciation uses a 'z' sound, like in the word 'haze.' Also avoid stressing the second syllable; keep the stress on SEP, not tum.

Yes! 'Nasal' breaks into two syllables: NAY-zal. 'Septum' also has two syllables: SEP-tum. So the full term is four syllables total: NAY-zal SEP-tum.

The word 'nasal' comes from the Latin word 'nasus,' which means 'nose.' That's why any word starting with 'nasal' has something to do with your nose—like nasal passage or nasal spray.

'Septum' comes from Latin and means 'a wall' or 'a dividing partition.' It's used in anatomy whenever there's a wall of tissue dividing one space from another—you'll hear it in other body parts too, like 'atrial septum' in the heart.

Think of it as the 'wall inside your nose.' It's the structure that divides your nasal cavity (the space inside your nose) into two separate passages—one on the left side and one on the right side. This wall is made of bone and cartilage.

You'll hear 'septum' in words like 'atrial septum' (the wall between the heart's upper chambers), 'ventricular septum' (the wall between the heart's lower chambers), and 'deviated septum' (when the nasal wall is crooked). The word always refers to some kind of dividing wall.

You might say: 'The nasal septum is made of bone and cartilage and separates the nose into two sides.' Or: 'The doctor examined the patient's nasal septum during the exam.' The term is used in medical and anatomical discussions to refer to that specific dividing wall.