How to Pronounce Temporomandibular Disorder

Say it like this: tem-poh-roh-man-DIB-yoo-lar dis-OR-der. The stress falls on the third syllable of the first word (DIB) and the second syllable of the second word (OR). It's a long word, but if you break it into chunks and practice each part, it becomes easier.

Many people stress the wrong syllable and say tem-POR-oh-man-dib-yoo-lar instead of tem-poh-ROH-man-DIB-yoo-lar. Remember: the emphasis goes on DIB in the middle of the word, not on POR at the beginning.

Sure! Here are all nine syllables: tem-poh-roh-man-DIB-yoo-lar dis-OR-der. If you say each syllable slowly and then speed up, you'll get the hang of it.

'Temporo' refers to the temple area of your skull, and 'mandibular' refers to your lower jaw. Together, the word describes the joint where your jawbone connects to your skull—it's literally the 'temple-to-jaw' joint.

Yes! Doctors and dentists often use the abbreviation TMD or TMJ disorder. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint. You'll hear people say 'TMD' (pronounced T-M-D) in medical offices all the time.

You might hear words like 'mandible' (the lower jaw bone itself) or 'submandibular' (meaning under the jaw). All of these words contain 'mandibular,' which always relates to the lower jaw.

You might say: 'My dentist told me I have temporomandibular disorder, which is why my jaw has been clicking.' Or: 'The specialist explained that temporomandibular disorder affects the joint where the jaw connects to the skull.'

Medical words are often long because they describe exactly what and where something is in your body. 'Temporomandibular disorder' tells you it's about the joint (temporo-mandibular) and that it's a health condition (disorder)—all in one technical term.