How to Pronounce Crocodile Tear Syndrome
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Crocodile Tear Syndrome Pronunciation
KROK-oh-dyl TEER SIN-drohm
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
KROK
stress here
oh
dyl TEER SIN
drohm
4 syllables
What is Crocodile Tear Syndrome?
Unilateral lacrimation (tearing from one eye) while eating, caused by aberrant reinnervation after facial nerve injury where nerve fibers intended for the salivary glands regrow to connect with the lacrimal (tear) gland. Also known as Bogorad's syndrome or gustatory epiphora.
Questions About Crocodile Tear Syndrome
How do you pronounce 'Crocodile Tear Syndrome'?
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Say it like this: KROK-oh-dyl TEER SIN-drohm. The first word rhymes with 'rock' and 'coddle,' the second word sounds like 'tear' (as in ripping), and 'syndrome' sounds like 'SIN-drohm' with the stress on the first part.
Which syllable gets the stress in 'Crocodile Tear Syndrome'?
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The stress falls on the first syllable of each word: KROK-oh-dyl TEER SIN-drohm. A common mistake is stressing the second syllable of 'crocodile' (kro-KOD-ile), but that's incorrect—it should be KROK-oh-dyle.
How do you break 'Crocodile Tear Syndrome' into syllables?
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Break it into parts like this: KROK-oh-dyl (three syllables) TEER (one syllable) SIN-drohm (two syllables). When you say it slowly, each part becomes clearer.
Why is it called 'Crocodile Tear' Syndrome?
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The term 'crocodile tear' is an old phrase meaning a fake or insincere tear. In this condition, tearing happens unexpectedly while eating instead of from emotion, which is why the old phrase was used to describe it.
What do the word parts of 'Crocodile Tear Syndrome' mean?
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'Crocodile' comes from Greek and refers to the animal, 'tear' means the liquid that comes from your eye, and 'syndrome' comes from Greek words meaning 'running together'—it describes a group of things that happen together.
What is another name for Crocodile Tear Syndrome?
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It's also called Bogorad's syndrome (BOH-guh-rahds SIN-drohm) or gustatory epiphora (gus-TAY-tor-ee ep-IF-or-uh). These are different names for the same condition, so doctors may use any of them.
How would you use 'Crocodile Tear Syndrome' in a sentence?
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You might say: 'The patient was referred to a neurologist because they experienced Crocodile Tear Syndrome after their facial nerve injury.' Or: 'Crocodile Tear Syndrome causes tearing to happen at unexpected times.'
What is a common mispronunciation of this term?
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People sometimes say 'cruh-KOD-ull' instead of 'KROK-oh-dyl,' or they stress the wrong part of 'syndrome' by saying 'SIN-DROHM' instead of 'SIN-drohm.' Remember to stress the first syllable of each word.