How to Pronounce Hemispherectomy
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Hemispherectomy Pronunciation
hem-ih-sfeer-EK-toh-mee
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
hem
ih
sfeer
EK
stress here
toh
mee
6 syllables
What is Hemispherectomy?
A radical surgical procedure that removes or disconnects one entire hemisphere (half) of the brain to control severe, intractable epilepsy. It is performed in carefully selected patients, usually children, where one hemisphere is severely damaged and causing disabling seizures.
Questions About Hemispherectomy
How do you pronounce hemispherectomy?
+
Say it like this: hem-ih-sfeer-EK-toh-mee. Break it into six syllables, and put the stress on the fourth syllable, which is EK. The word rhymes roughly with "hem-ih-SPHERE-eck-tuh-mee," where SPHERE is the loudest part.
What is the most common mispronunciation of hemispherectomy?
+
Many people accidentally stress the second syllable and say "hem-ih-SFEER-ek-toh-mee," but that's incorrect. The stress belongs on the EK syllable: hem-ih-sfeer-EK-toh-mee. Listen for the emphasis on that fourth syllable to say it right.
What does the word hemispherectomy break down into?
+
The word has three parts: 'hemi' means half, 'sphere' refers to the brain's round shape (from Greek 'sphaira'), and 'ectomy' means surgical removal. Put together, hemispherectomy literally means 'removal of half the sphere,' or half of the brain.
What are the syllables in hemispherectomy?
+
There are six syllables: hem-i-sphere-ec-to-my. When you say them slowly, it sounds like "HEM-ih-SFEER-ek-TOH-mee," but remember to stress the fourth one (EK) in normal speech.
What does hemispherectomy mean in plain English?
+
A hemispherectomy is a surgical procedure that removes or disconnects one entire half of the brain. It's a major operation that doctors consider only in very specific medical situations involving one side of the brain.
What other medical words share the 'ectomy' root?
+
Many surgical removal words use 'ectomy': appendectomy (removal of the appendix), tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils), and hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). They all describe surgeries where something is cut out or removed.
Can you use hemispherectomy in a sentence?
+
Here's an example: "The neurosurgeon explained that a hemispherectomy was a possible option they wanted to discuss with the family." The word simply names the procedure without giving any medical opinions about it.
Is there a shorter way to say or write hemispherectomy?
+
Medical professionals sometimes shorten it to 'hemispherectomy' in writing, but there isn't a common abbreviation like "HSE" that people regularly use. When speaking, people usually just say the full word or refer to it as 'the hemisphere procedure.'