How to Pronounce Epidural Abscess

Say it like this: "ep-ih-DUR-al AB-ses." The stress falls on the second syllable of epidural (DUR), which rhymes with "your." The word abscess rhymes with "pass" and has the stress on the first syllable (AB).

Epidural means the space around the outer membrane that covers the spinal cord. The prefix 'epi-' means "on top of" or "around," and 'dural' refers to the dura, which is the tough, protective membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

An abscess is a pocket or collection of pus—a thick, yellowish fluid made up of dead immune cells and bacteria. Think of it like a small infected bubble that builds up in the body.

Epidural breaks into four syllables: ep-i-DU-ral. Abscess breaks into two syllables: AB-ses. When you say both words together, you say: ep-i-DU-ral AB-ses.

Many people stress the wrong syllable in epidural and say "ep-ih-duh-RAL" instead of the correct "ep-ih-DUR-al." Also, some people mispronounce abscess as "ab-SESS" (with stress on the second syllable), but it should be "AB-ses" with stress on the first syllable.

Epidural comes from two Greek roots: 'epi-' meaning "upon" or "around," and 'dura,' which is the name of the outermost membrane covering the spinal cord. Together, they literally mean "around the dura."

Several words use the 'dural' root: subdural (below the dura), meningitis (inflammation of membranes that includes the dura), and dural matter (another name for the dura itself). All of these relate to the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

Here's an example: "The doctor explained that the patient's imaging showed an epidural abscess in the spinal canal." This sentence uses the term correctly to describe where the collection of pus is located.