Medical Words
MedicalWords

11,000+ medical terms. Free forever.

How to Pronounce Trachoma

Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling

Trachoma Pronunciation

trah-KOH-mah

Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables

Syllable Breakdown

trah
KOH

stress here

mah

3 syllables

What is Trachoma?

A bacterial infection of the eye caused by Chlamydia trachomatis that, with repeated infections, can cause scarring of the inner eyelid and eventually blindness. It is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide.

Questions About Trachoma

How do you pronounce trachoma?

+
Trachoma is pronounced trah-KOH-mah. The first part sounds like "trah" (rhymes with "spa"), the second part is "KOH" (sounds like the letter K followed by "oh"), and the last part is "mah" (rhymes with "spa" again). The stress falls on the middle syllable: KOH.

What is the most common mistake when saying trachoma?

+
Many people stress the first syllable and say TRAH-ko-mah, but that's incorrect. The correct stress is on the middle syllable: trah-KOH-mah. Remember to emphasize the "KOH" part when you say it.

How do you break trachoma into syllables?

+
Trachoma has three syllables: tra-cho-ma. When you say it out loud slowly, it sounds like "trah" (1st), "cho" (2nd), and "mah" (3rd). Putting them together quickly gives you the full word.

Does trachoma have a shorter abbreviation?

+
There isn't a widely used abbreviation for trachoma in the way there is for some other medical conditions. Most healthcare professionals and sources simply use the full word "trachoma."

Where does the word trachoma come from?

+
Trachoma comes from Greek origins. The Greek word "trachys" means rough or harsh, which describes the scarring and roughness of the infected eye tissue. The ending "-oma" is a common Greek suffix used in medical terms to describe a condition or disease.

What is trachoma in plain English?

+
Trachoma is a serious eye infection caused by bacteria. In simple terms, it's a condition where the inner eyelid becomes scarred and damaged from repeated infections, and it's one of the major infectious causes of vision loss worldwide.

Are there other medical words that share the same root as trachoma?

+
Yes! Other medical words use the Greek root "trach-" meaning rough. For example, "tracheal" (relating to the trachea or windpipe) and "tracheo-" (a prefix used in terms like tracheostomy) come from similar Greek origins meaning rough passages or tubes.

Can you use trachoma in a sentence?

+
Here's an example: "The doctor explained that trachoma is pronounced trah-KOH-mah and is an important disease to recognize worldwide." This shows how the word is used in medical conversation without giving medical advice.

Related Terms