How to Pronounce Duodenal Web

Say it like this: doo-oh-DEE-nal WEB. The stress falls on the third syllable, which sounds like "DEE." The first part rhymes with "food," and the second part is just the regular word "web" that you already know.

Duodenal refers to the duodenum, which is the first part of your small intestine. The word comes from Latin and originally meant "twelve," because this part of the intestine is about twelve finger-widths long. So when doctors say "duodenal," they're talking about something located in that specific section of your intestines.

It's called a web because it looks like a thin, delicate membrane stretched across the inside of the duodenum—similar to a spider's web. The membrane partially or completely blocks the passage, which is why doctors use this everyday word to describe the shape and appearance of this obstruction.

Break it into syllables like this: duo-de-nal web. That's four syllables for the first word and one for the second. When you say it out loud, remember to stress the third syllable: duo-DE-nal WEB.

People often stress the first or second syllable by accident, saying DU-oh-denal or du-OH-denal. The correct way is to stress the third syllable: doo-oh-DEE-nal. Think of it as emphasis on the "DEE" sound in the middle.

You might hear "duodenitis" (inflammation of the duodenum) or "duodenal ulcer" (a sore in the duodenum). All of these words use "duodenal" to point to that same first part of the small intestine where the duodenal web is located.

It's a thin, web-like blockage inside the first part of your small intestine. The blockage is present from birth and can slow down or stop food and fluid from moving through normally.

Here's an example: "The radiologist noted a duodenal web on the imaging study." This sentence means the doctor saw evidence of this web-like blockage using medical imaging to look inside the patient's duodenum.