How to Pronounce Urethral Calculus

Say it like this: yoo-REE-thral KAL-kyoo-lus. The first word rhymes with 'you' and 'tree,' and the stress falls on the second syllable of the first word (REE). The second word sounds like 'calcium' but with a 'kul' sound at the end instead of 'um.'

The stress falls on REE in urethral (yoo-REE-thral), and on KAL in calculus (KAL-kyoo-lus). A common mistake is stressing the first syllable of urethral (UR-ethral) instead of the second, which makes it sound like 'your-uh-thral.'

Urethral breaks into four syllables: u-RE-thral, and calculus breaks into three syllables: CAL-cu-lus. Together, the full term has seven syllables with the main stresses on REE and KAL.

Calculus comes from Latin and means 'stone.' In medicine, the word calculus is used to describe any kind of hard stone-like deposit that forms in the body. You might hear it used with other body parts too, like 'kidney calculi' or 'gallbladder calculi' (the plural form).

Urethral is the adjective form of urethra, which is the tube in your body that carries urine. When doctors say 'urethral,' they mean 'related to or happening in the urethra.'

In plain English, it means a stone that has become stuck in the tube that carries urine out of the body. It's a compound medical term made up of two parts: urethral (relating to that tube) and calculus (the stone).

You might hear 'urethritis' (inflammation of the urethra), 'urethral stricture' (a narrowing of the urethra), or 'urethroplasty' (a surgical procedure on the urethra). All of these words start with urethr-, which always refers to that same tube.

Here's an example: 'The doctor explained that the patient had a urethral calculus.' Another way to say it might be: 'A urethral calculus is a medical condition involving a stone in the urethra.'