How to Pronounce Epiglottitis
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Epiglottitis Pronunciation
ep-ih-glot-EYE-tis
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
ep
ih
glot
EYE
stress here
tis
5 syllables
What is Epiglottitis?
Inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis (the flap of tissue at the base of the tongue that prevents food from entering the airway), usually caused by bacterial infection. Before widespread Hib vaccination it was mainly a childhood emergency causing sudden airway obstruction; it still occurs in adults and is a potentially life-threatening emergency.
Questions About Epiglottitis
How do you pronounce epiglottitis?
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Epiglottitis is pronounced "ep-ih-glot-EYE-tis." Break it into four syllables: ep (like "step" without the 's'), ih (like the 'i' in "sit"), glot (rhymes with "dot"), and EYE-tis (where EYE rhymes with "my" or "eye"). The stress falls on the third syllable: glot-EYE-tis.
What is the most common mispronunciation of epiglottitis?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say "ep-ih-GLOT-uh-tis" (putting the emphasis on "glot" instead of "EYE"). The correct way is to stress the third part: ep-ih-glot-EYE-tis, with the loudest emphasis on the "EYE" sound.
What does the word 'epiglottitis' break down into?
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The word has two main parts: "epi-" (a Greek prefix meaning "on top of" or "above") and "glottitis" (which comes from "glottis," the Greek word for the voice box or opening to the windpipe, plus "-itis," which means inflammation). So epiglottitis literally means inflammation of the tissue on top of the glottis.
What does the '-itis' ending mean?
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The suffix "-itis" is a common medical ending that always means inflammation or swelling of something. You'll see it in many medical words, like bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi) or appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix).
What is the epiglottis in simple terms?
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The epiglottis is a small flap of tissue in your throat at the base of your tongue. Its job is to act like a gate, covering your windpipe when you swallow so food and liquid go down the right path instead of into your lungs.
How would you use 'epiglottitis' in a sentence?
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You might hear a healthcare provider say, "The patient was admitted with epiglottitis" or "The doctor suspected epiglottitis based on the sudden throat swelling." It's a word used to name the specific condition being discussed.
Are there related words that share the same root?
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Yes! "Glottis" refers to the opening in the voice box itself, and "epiglottic" is the adjective form (meaning "related to the epiglottis"). You might hear a doctor say "epiglottic swelling" instead of saying "epiglottitis" when describing the condition.
What syllable do you stress, and why is it easy to get wrong?
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The stress falls on the third syllable: glot-EYE-tis (the "EYE" part). It's easy to get wrong because many inflammation words ending in "-itis" (like appendicitis or bronchitis) are stressed differently, so people may unconsciously stress an earlier syllable instead.