How to Pronounce Congenital Malaria
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Congenital Malaria Pronunciation
kon-JEN-ih-tal mah-LAIR-ee-ah
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
kon
JEN
stress here
ih
tal mah
LAIR
stress here
ee
ah
7 syllables
What is Congenital Malaria?
Malaria present in a newborn from birth, transmitted from an infected mother to her baby across the placenta during pregnancy or at delivery. It is rare because maternal antibodies provide some protection, but when it occurs it causes fever, anemia, and splenomegaly in the newborn and requires antimalarial treatment.
Questions About Congenital Malaria
How do you pronounce 'congenital malaria'?
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Say it like this: kon-JEN-ih-tal mah-LAIR-ee-ah. The first word rhymes with 'congeal' but sounds like 'con-JEN-uh-tul,' and the second word sounds like 'muh-LAIR-ee-uh.' The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word: kon-JEN-ih-tal.
Where is the stress in the word 'congenital'?
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The stress lands on the second syllable: con-JEN-ih-tal. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable (CON-gen-ih-tal), but that's not correct. Say it a little louder and longer on the JEN part.
How do you break 'congenital malaria' into syllables?
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Congenital breaks into four syllables: con-GEN-i-tal. Malaria breaks into four syllables: ma-LAR-i-a. Together they make eight syllables, with the strongest stress on the GEN in congenital and the LAR in malaria.
What does 'congenital' mean in plain English?
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'Congenital' simply means 'present from birth.' It comes from Latin words meaning 'born together' — the condition is there when the baby is born, not something that develops later. You'll see this word used with many other conditions, like congenital heart disease.
What does 'malaria' mean, and where does the word come from?
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Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes. The word comes from Italian and means 'bad air'—people used to think the disease came from bad or foul air in swampy areas. Today we know it's actually spread by infected mosquitoes, not bad air.
What does 'congenital malaria' mean in simple terms?
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'Congenital malaria' means malaria that a baby is born with, rather than catching it later in life. It's a medical term doctors use to describe this specific timing of when the disease is present.
What are some related words that use 'congenital'?
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You might hear 'congenital heart disease,' 'congenital cataracts,' or 'congenital disability'—all of these describe conditions that are present from birth. The root word 'congenital' stays the same; only what comes after it changes depending on which condition is being described.
What is a common mispronunciation of 'congenital malaria'?
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People often say con-JEN-ih-tul muh-LAIR-ee-uh, which is actually correct, but they sometimes stress the wrong syllable and say CON-jen-ih-tul instead. Remember: the stress is on the second syllable, not the first.
How would you use 'congenital malaria' in a sentence?
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A doctor might say: 'The newborn was diagnosed with congenital malaria because the infection was transmitted before birth.' This shows that the malaria was present from the moment the baby was born, not caught afterward.