How to Pronounce Congenital Syphilis

Say it like this: kon-JEN-ih-tal SIF-ih-lis. The first word sounds like "con" (like a con artist) plus "JEN" (rhymes with "ten") plus "ih-tal" (sounds like "ih" plus "tal"). The second word is "SIF" (rhymes with "if") plus "ih-lis" (sounds like "ih" plus "lis"). The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word: kon-JEN-ih-tal.

In "congenital," you stress the second syllable: kon-JEN-ih-tal (say it a bit louder and longer). Many people mistakenly stress the first syllable and say CON-jen-ih-tal, but that's not correct. In "syphilis," the stress is on the first syllable: SIF-ih-lis.

"Congenital" has four syllables: con-GEN-i-tal. "Syphilis" has three syllables: SYP-hi-lis. Together, the full term has seven syllables.

"Congenital" is a medical term that means something a person is born with—a condition that is present from birth. It comes from Latin and means "born together." You'll hear "congenital" used with many other medical conditions, like "congenital heart disease."

"Syphilis" is the name of a specific bacterial infection. On its own, it refers to the infection in general. When you add "congenital" in front of it, you're specifying that it's a type of syphilis that someone is born with.

Think of it this way: "congenital" means "born with," and "syphilis" is an infection. So "congenital syphilis" simply means a serious infection that a baby is born with. It's a condition passed from mother to baby before birth.

You'll see "congenital" paired with many other medical terms: congenital heart disease, congenital blindness, and congenital abnormality are common examples. The word "congenital" always means the condition is present from birth, no matter what medical word follows it.

Yes, doctors and health professionals sometimes abbreviate it as "CS" in medical writing and records. You would just say the letters: "C-S."

Here's an example: "The doctor explained that understanding congenital syphilis is important for public health workers." Another example: "Congenital syphilis is a term you might encounter in medical textbooks or health education classes."