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How to Pronounce Chloasma

Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling

Chloasma Pronunciation

kloh-AZ-mah

Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables

Syllable Breakdown

kloh
AZ

stress here

mah

3 syllables

What is Chloasma?

Another term for melasma, specifically referring to the darkening of the skin that occurs during pregnancy, sometimes called the mask of pregnancy. It is caused by hormonal changes that stimulate melanin production.

Questions About Chloasma

How do you pronounce chloasma?

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Chloasma is pronounced kloh-AZ-mah. The first syllable sounds like "kloh" (rhymes with "go"), the second syllable is "AZ" (rhymes with "has"), and the last syllable is "mah" (rhymes with "spa"). The stress falls on the second syllable, so you say it a bit louder: kloh-AZ-mah.

What is the most common mispronunciation of chloasma?

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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say "KLOH-az-mah" instead of "kloh-AZ-mah." Remember that the middle syllable gets the emphasis, not the first one. Listen for the AZ sound to be the loudest part of the word.

How do you break chloasma into syllables?

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Chloasma breaks into three syllables: chloa-sma becomes KLOH-AZ-MAH. The first syllable "kloh" contains the beginning sound, the second syllable "az" is where the stress lands, and the final syllable "mah" completes the word.

What does chloasma mean in plain English?

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Chloasma is simply another name for a condition where patches of skin become darker than usual. The term is most commonly used to describe the darkening that can happen during pregnancy, which is sometimes called "the mask of pregnancy" because of where it appears on the face.

Where does the word chloasma come from?

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Chloasma comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "greenish" or "pale green." Although the name suggests a greenish color, the condition actually causes brown or grayish patches. Medical terms sometimes keep their original names even when they don't perfectly match what we see today.

Is there a shorter way to say chloasma?

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Yes, the related and more commonly used term is melasma (mel-AZ-mah), which comes from the Greek word for "black." Both words refer to the same condition, but melasma is the term you'll hear doctors use more often in modern medicine.

What other medical words share roots with chloasma?

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Melasma shares the same root idea and refers to skin darkening. You might also encounter the word chlor- (meaning greenish) in other medical terms, though it's less common today. Both chloasma and melasma describe similar conditions and are sometimes used interchangeably.

How would you use chloasma correctly in a sentence?

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You might say: "The dermatologist explained that chloasma and melasma are two different names for the same skin condition." This sentence shows that chloasma is a medical term used by healthcare professionals to describe a specific type of skin discoloration.

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