How to Pronounce Mitral Stenosis

Say it like this: MY-tral steh-NOH-sis. The first word rhymes with 'my' and 'trial,' and the second word has the stress on the second syllable (NOH). Put them together smoothly, and you've got it right.

In 'mitral,' the stress is on the first syllable: MY-tral. In 'stenosis,' the stress is on the second syllable: steh-NOH-sis. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable of stenosis (STEN-oh-sis), so listen carefully for that NO sound to get it right.

The term breaks down like this: MI-tral ste-NO-sis. That gives you five syllables total when you say both words together at a normal pace.

'Mitral' comes from the Latin word for 'mitre,' which is a type of hat worn by bishops—it has two pointed parts. The mitral valve in your heart has two flaps, so it got its name from that resemblance to a mitre.

'Stenosis' comes from Greek and simply means 'narrowing' or 'tightening.' So whenever you hear '-stenosis' at the end of a medical word, it's describing something that has become too narrow.

It describes a narrowing of the mitral valve, which is a gate-like structure in the heart. Think of it like a doorway that has become too small, making it harder for blood to flow through it.

You might hear 'mitral regurgitation' (when the valve leaks), 'aortic stenosis' (narrowing of a different valve), or 'pulmonary stenosis' (narrowing of another heart valve). All of these follow the same naming pattern.

You might say: 'The patient was referred to a cardiologist because of a diagnosis of mitral stenosis.' Or: 'Understanding the term mitral stenosis helped him follow along during his doctor's explanation.'