How to Pronounce Vertebral Artery Dissection
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Vertebral Artery Dissection Pronunciation
VER-teh-bral AR-ter-ee dih-SEK-shun
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
VER
stress here
teh
bral AR
ter
ee dih
SEK
stress here
shun
7 syllables
What is Vertebral Artery Dissection?
A tear in the wall of a vertebral artery in the neck, which can reduce blood flow to the brain and cause stroke; often occurs after neck trauma or manipulation, or spontaneously.
Questions About Vertebral Artery Dissection
How do you pronounce 'vertebral artery dissection'?
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Say it like this: VER-teh-bral AR-ter-ee dih-SEK-shun. Break it into four parts: the first word sounds like "VER" (rhymes with "her"), then "teh-bral." The second word is "AR-ter-ee" (like "artery"). The last word is "dih-SEK-shun." The stress falls on the first syllable of the first word: VER.
What does 'vertebral artery dissection' mean in plain English?
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This term describes a tear in the lining of a blood vessel in your neck called the vertebral artery. When this tear happens, it can affect blood flow to the brain. Think of it like a tiny split in a water hose—the water can still flow, but the leak can cause problems.
What is the correct way to break this term into syllables?
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Break it like this: ver-TE-bral AR-ter-ee dis-SEK-shun. The term has six syllables total. Vertebral has three (ver-TE-bral), artery has three (AR-ter-ee), and dissection has three (dis-SEK-shun).
Which syllable gets the stress, and what's a common mistake?
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The stress goes on the first syllable: VER-teh-bral AR-ter-ee dih-SEK-shun. Many people mistakenly stress the second syllable and say ver-TE-bral instead. Remember: VER is the strong part, like saying "VER-y" but stopping early.
What do the word parts 'vertebra' and 'artery' mean?
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Vertebra comes from Latin and means a bone in your spine. Artery comes from Greek and refers to a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. So vertebral artery literally means "the blood vessel near your spine," which in this case is in your neck.
What does the word 'dissection' mean in this medical term?
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In medical language, dissection means a tear or separation in the layers of tissue. It comes from a Latin word meaning "to cut apart." In this case, it's not a surgical cut but rather a tear that happens in the artery's wall.
Are there related medical words that use 'dissection'?
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Yes! Aortic dissection is a tear in the aorta (your body's largest artery). Carotid artery dissection is a tear in the carotid artery in your neck. All three terms use the same word—dissection—to describe a tear in a blood vessel.
Can you use this term in a simple sentence?
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Sure! Here's an example: "The doctor explained that a vertebral artery dissection can happen suddenly, even without an obvious injury." This sentence shows how you'd use the full medical term in normal conversation.