How to Pronounce Decortication
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Decortication Pronunciation
dee-kor-tih-KAY-shun
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
dee
kor
tih
KAY
stress here
shun
5 syllables
What is Decortication?
A surgical procedure to remove the thick fibrous peel that encases and restricts the lung in fibrothorax or organized empyema, allowing the trapped lung to re-expand. It can dramatically improve lung function in patients with severely restricted lungs from pleural scarring.
Questions About Decortication
How do you pronounce decortication?
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Decortication is pronounced dee-kor-tih-KAY-shun. The stress falls on the last syllable, which rhymes with "say" plus "shun." Say it like you're emphasizing that final part: dee-kor-tih-KAY-shun.
How do you break decortication into syllables?
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Decortication breaks into five syllables: de-cor-ti-ca-tion. This can help you sound it out piece by piece if the full word feels long.
What is the stressed syllable in decortication?
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The stressed syllable is the fourth one: de-cor-ti-KAY-tion. A common mistake is stressing the first or second syllable instead, but the emphasis belongs on the "kay" sound near the end.
What do the word parts of decortication mean?
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Decortication comes from Latin roots: "de-" means "remove" and "cortication" relates to "cortex," meaning the outer layer or covering. So the word literally means "removing the outer covering."
What is decortication in plain English?
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Decortication is a surgical removal of a thick, fibrous layer that covers and squeezes the lung. It's a procedure aimed at freeing up a lung that has become trapped and restricted by scar tissue.
What are some related words that share the same root as decortication?
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Words like "cortex" (the outer layer of the brain) and "cortical" (relating to an outer layer) share the same Latin root. You'll also see "decorticate" used as the verb form of the same procedure.
Can you use decortication in a simple sentence?
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Here's an example: "The patient's lung doctor explained that decortication might help improve his breathing." This shows how the word might appear when someone is discussing the procedure in plain conversation.
What is a common mispronunciation of decortication?
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Many people say "dee-KOR-tih-kay-shun" (stressing the second syllable) or "dee-kor-tih-kay-SHUN" (stressing the last part of the word). The correct stress is on the fourth syllable: dee-kor-tih-KAY-shun.

