How to Pronounce Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is pronounced kee-moh-THAIR-ah-pee. The stress falls on the third syllable, "THAIR," which is where your voice gets louder and stronger when you say the word.

The stressed syllable is THAIR (the third part). Many people mistakenly stress the first syllable and say KEE-moh-therapy instead. Remember: kee-moh-THAIR-ah-pee, with the emphasis on THAIR.

Chemotherapy breaks into five syllables: chem-o-ther-a-py. Some people say it as four syllables by running the last two together: chem-o-THAIR-py. Either way is understood, as long as you stress the THAIR part.

Chemotherapy comes from two Greek roots: "chemo" means chemical or drug, and "therapy" means treatment. Put together, it literally means "treatment using chemicals."

The short form is chemo, pronounced KEE-moh (with stress on the first syllable). You'll often hear doctors and patients use "chemo" in conversation as a faster way to say the full word.

Chemotherapy is a medical treatment that uses strong drugs to fight cancer cells in the body. In everyday terms, you might simply call it a cancer drug treatment.

Many medical words use "therapy," such as physical therapy (treatment to improve movement), radiation therapy (treatment using radiation), and occupational therapy (treatment to help with daily activities). They all share the Greek root meaning "treatment."

Example: "The doctor discussed the treatment plan, which included chemotherapy as one option." Or: "She underwent several cycles of chemo over the course of several months."