How to Pronounce Nasolacrimal Canal

Say it like this: nay-zoh-LAK-rih-mal kah-NAL. The stress falls on the second syllable of "nasolacrimal" (the "LAK" part), and on the first syllable of "canal" (the "kah" part). Think of it as "nay-zoh-LAK-rih-mul" flowing into "kah-NAL."

Break it into these syllables: nay-zoh-LAK-rih-mal (five syllables) kah-NAL (two syllables). The first word has five parts when you say it slowly, and the second word has just two.

Many people stress the wrong syllable and say "NAY-zoh-lak-rih-mal" (stressing the first syllable) instead of "nay-zoh-LAK-rih-mal" (stressing the third syllable). Remember: the stress goes on LAK, not on nay.

"Naso" comes from Latin and means "nose." "Lacrimal" comes from Latin "lacrima," which means "tear" (the liquid your eyes produce). "Canal" means a tube or passageway. Put together, it's the tube related to tears and the nose.

It's a tiny bony tunnel in your skull that connects your eye area to your nose. Your tears drain through this canal, which is why your nose runs when you cry.

You'll hear "lacrimal gland" (the gland that makes tears), "lacrimal sac" (where tears collect), and "lacrimal duct" (tubes that carry tears). All of these words are about the tear system in your eye.

Here's an example: "The nasolacrimal canal is a small bone tunnel that drains tears from the eye down into the nose." This sentence shows how the word is used when discussing eye and nose anatomy.

Medical professionals sometimes just say "nasolacrimal duct" to refer to the channel itself, though technically the canal is the bony part and the duct is the soft tissue tube inside it. You might also hear it shortened to "NLC" in written notes, pronounced by spelling out the letters: en-el-see.