How to Pronounce Hemophilia B

Hemophilia B is pronounced "hee-moh-FIL-ee-ah BEE." Start with "hee" (rhymes with "bee"), then say "moh" (like "moe"), then stress the third part: "FIL" (rhymes with "fill"). Finish with "ee-ah" and the letter B. The strongest emphasis goes on that FIL part in the middle.

Hemophilia breaks into five syllables: hee-moh-FIL-ee-ah. Then you add the single letter B at the end and say it as "bee." So altogether it's six parts when you count the B.

The third syllable, "FIL," gets the strongest stress: hee-moh-FIL-ee-ah. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable and saying "HEE-moh-fil-ee-ah," but that's wrong. Remember to put the emphasis in the middle of the word on "FIL."

Hemophilia comes from two Greek roots: "hemo" means blood, and "philia" means a love for or attraction to. So hemophilia literally means "blood-loving," which describes a condition where the blood doesn't clot properly. The "B" simply tells you this is the second type of this condition.

Hemophilia B is also called "Christmas disease." You say it exactly as it's spelled: KRIS-mas dih-ZEZ. The disease got this unusual name from the last name of the first patient in whom it was identified.

Both are pronounced the same way at the start: "hee-moh-FIL-ee-ah." The only difference is at the very end—hemophilia A ends with the letter "A," and hemophilia B ends with the letter "B." They're otherwise identical in pronunciation.

Words like "hemoglobin" (a protein in blood) and "hemorrhage" (heavy bleeding) also use the "hemo" root meaning blood. You might also hear "hemophiliac," which is pronounced "hee-moh-FIL-ee-ak" and refers to a person with hemophilia.

You might say: "The doctor explained that his condition was hemophilia B, not hemophilia A." Or: "She learned to pronounce hemophilia B correctly after hearing it at her medical appointment." These sentences show how the term appears in everyday conversation.