How to Pronounce Chordoma
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Chordoma Pronunciation
kor-DOH-mah
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
kor
DOH
stress here
mah
3 syllables
What is Chordoma?
A rare, slow-growing malignant bone tumor arising from remnants of the primitive notochord, occurring almost exclusively in the axial skeleton, with two-thirds arising in the sacrum and one-third at the skull base. Despite being locally aggressive and prone to recurrence, it rarely metastasizes early, but its location makes complete resection challenging.
Questions About Chordoma
How do you pronounce chordoma?
+
Chordoma is pronounced kor-DOH-mah. The stress falls on the second syllable (DOH), which you say louder and longer than the others. Think of it like saying "core" and then "dough" and then "muh."
What is the correct way to break chordoma into syllables?
+
Chordoma breaks into three syllables: chor-do-ma. When you say it out loud, the middle syllable (do) gets the main stress and should sound like the word "dough."
What is the most common mistake people make when saying chordoma?
+
The most common mistake is stressing the first syllable instead of the second, saying CHOR-doh-mah instead of kor-DOH-mah. Remember: the stress belongs on the middle syllable, the "DOH" part.
Where does the word chordoma come from?
+
Chordoma comes from two parts: "chord-" which relates to a cord or cord-like structure, and "-oma" which is a medical suffix meaning a tumor or abnormal growth. Together, the word literally describes a tumor that comes from cord tissue.
What does the suffix -oma mean in medical terms?
+
The suffix -oma means a tumor or an abnormal growth. You'll see it in many medical words like melanoma, carcinoma, and lymphoma. It helps doctors name different types of growths in the body.
What is chordoma in plain, everyday language?
+
A chordoma is a type of rare tumor that grows in bones, usually in the spine or skull area. It's a medical term doctors use to describe a specific kind of bone growth that needs specialized attention.
Can you use chordoma in a simple sentence?
+
Here's an example: "The radiologist identified a chordoma in the patient's medical imaging." This sentence shows how the word is used in a medical or healthcare setting to name a specific condition.
What other medical words share the -oma suffix with chordoma?
+
Many medical words use -oma to name tumors, including sarcoma, myeloma, glioma, and meningioma. Whenever you see -oma at the end of a medical word, you know it refers to some kind of growth or tumor.

