How to Pronounce Congenital Chylothorax
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Congenital Chylothorax Pronunciation
kon-JEN-ih-tal ky-loh-THOR-aks
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
kon
JEN
stress here
ih
tal ky
loh
THOR
stress here
aks
7 syllables
What is Congenital Chylothorax?
A rare neonatal condition in which lymphatic fluid (chyle) accumulates in the pleural space around the lungs due to a congenital abnormality or obstruction of the thoracic duct (the main lymphatic vessel in the chest), causing respiratory distress from lung compression. It is the most common cause of pleural effusion in the newborn and is treated with drainage, a medium-chain triglyceride diet (to reduce chyle flow), and sometimes surgery or sirolimus for resistant cases.
Questions About Congenital Chylothorax
How do you pronounce 'congenital chylothorax'?
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Say it like this: kon-JEN-ih-tal ky-loh-THOR-aks. The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word (JEN) and the third syllable of the second word (THOR). It helps to say each part separately first, then blend them together smoothly.
What does 'congenital' mean?
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Congenital means something you are born with—it's a condition that exists from birth. The word comes from Latin and literally means 'born together.' You might hear doctors use it for any condition a baby has at birth, not just this one.
What does 'chylothorax' mean in plain English?
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Chylothorax is a fancy way of saying that a certain type of body fluid has collected in the wrong place—around the lungs. 'Chylo' refers to a milky fluid your body makes, and 'thorax' means the chest area, so the whole word describes fluid buildup in the chest.
What do the word parts 'chylo' and 'thorax' come from?
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Both parts come from Greek. 'Chylo' comes from 'chylos,' which means juice or fluid, and 'thorax' comes from the Greek word for chest or breastplate. Breaking the word into these roots helps you understand what the condition actually is.
How many syllables does 'congenital chylothorax' have?
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Congenital has four syllables: con-GEN-i-tal. Chylothorax has three syllables: chy-lo-THORAX. Together, the full term has seven syllables, which is why it sounds like a mouthful at first!
What's a common mistake people make when saying this word?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say kon-jen-ih-TAL instead of kon-JEN-ih-tal. Others mispronounce 'chylo' to rhyme with 'chile' instead of 'KY-lo.' Remembering that JEN and THOR get the stress will help you say it correctly.
Are there related words that share the 'thorax' root?
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Yes! You'll hear words like 'thoracic' (relating to the chest), 'thoracotomy' (a surgical cut into the chest), and 'hemothorax' (blood in the chest space). All of these use 'thorax' to mean the chest area.
How would you use this term in a simple sentence?
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A doctor might say: 'The ultrasound showed that the baby has congenital chylothorax, which means fluid is building up around the lungs.' This tells you the baby was born with this condition involving fluid in the chest.

