How to Pronounce Retention Cyst

Say it like this: reh-TEN-shun SIST. The first word rhymes with "deception," and you stress the middle syllable (TEN). The second word is simple—it sounds just like "cyst" in any medical word, rhyming with "list."

The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word: reh-**TEN**-shun SIST. Many people accidentally stress the first syllable and say "RET-en-shun," but that's not correct.

"Retention" comes from Latin and means "holding back" or "keeping something inside." In everyday English, it describes when something gets trapped or builds up instead of flowing away naturally.

A "cyst" is a small sac or pouch that forms in the body and fills up with fluid or other material. You'll hear this word in many medical terms, like "ovarian cyst" or "baker's cyst."

Break it like this: re-TEN-shun (three syllables) + cyst (one syllable). So the full term has four syllables total: re-TEN-shun-CYST.

A retention cyst is a pouch that forms when a tube or opening in the body gets blocked, so fluid builds up and gets trapped inside. Think of it like a drain that gets plugged—the water has nowhere to go, so it pools up.

Yes! You might hear "urinary retention" (when urine backs up), "water retention" (when fluid builds up in the body), or "dermoid cyst" and "ganglion cyst" (other types of cysts). All these words use the same building blocks.

People often say "RET-en-shun" with stress on the first syllable, but the correct way stresses the middle: reh-**TEN**-shun. Also, don't rush the word "cyst"—say it clearly, not like "cists" (plural).