How to Pronounce Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens Pronunciation
kon-JEN-ih-tal by-LAT-er-al AB-sens of vaz DEF-er-enz
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
kon
JEN
stress here
ih
tal by
LAT
stress here
er
al AB
sens of vaz DEF
er
enz
10 syllables
What is Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens?
A condition in which the vas deferens (the tube carrying sperm from the testicle) is absent on both sides from birth, causing obstructive azoospermia. It is strongly associated with mutations in the CFTR gene (the cystic fibrosis gene) and is the cause in about 1–2% of infertile men.
Questions About Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens
How do you pronounce 'Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens'?
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Say it like this: kon-JEN-ih-tal by-LAT-er-al AB-sens of vaz DEF-er-enz. The stress falls on the second syllable of 'congenital' (JEN), the second syllable of 'bilateral' (LAT), and the first syllable of 'absence' (AB). It's a long phrase, so take it one word at a time and it becomes much easier.
What does 'congenital' mean in this term?
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Congenital comes from Latin and means 'present from birth.' In this phrase, it tells you that the absence of the vas deferens is something a person is born with, not something that develops later in life.
What does 'bilateral' mean?
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Bilateral comes from Latin and means 'both sides.' In medical terms, 'bilateral' always refers to something affecting both the left and right sides of the body. Here, it means the vas deferens is absent on both sides, not just one.
What is the 'vas deferens'?
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The vas deferens is a tube-like structure in the male body. The name comes from Latin: 'vas' means vessel or tube, and 'deferens' means carrying. It's the tube that carries sperm, so the whole term describes a condition where these tubes are missing from birth on both sides.
What's the most common mispronunciation of this term?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable in 'congenital,' saying con-jen-I-tal instead of kon-JEN-ih-tal. Remember: the stress goes on the second syllable, where you hear the 'JEN' sound. Also, 'vas deferens' is often mispronounced as 'vase' when it should sound like 'vahz.'
How many syllables does 'congenital' have, and where does the stress fall?
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Congenital has four syllables: con-GEN-i-tal. The stress falls on the second syllable—the GEN part. When you say the whole term, GEN gets the emphasis, making it sound like: kon-JEN-ih-tal.
Can you break down the full term into its word parts?
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Sure! Here it is piece by piece: Congenital (present from birth) + Bilateral (affecting both sides) + Absence (not present) + of Vas Deferens (the sperm-carrying tubes). Together, the whole phrase describes a condition where both sperm-carrying tubes are missing from birth.
Is there a short way to refer to this condition?
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Yes, doctors and scientists often abbreviate it as CBAVD. You'd say each letter separately: C-B-A-V-D. This shorter form is commonly used in medical writing and conversations when the full name is too long to repeat.
What other medical words share the root 'vas'?
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The Latin word 'vas' (meaning vessel or tube) appears in several medical terms. Vasectomy uses the same root and refers to a surgical procedure related to the vas deferens. Understanding that 'vas' means tube can help you recognize and remember other similar medical words.