How to Pronounce Jejunostomy

Jejunostomy is pronounced jeh-joo-NOS-toh-mee. Break it into four syllables: jeh-JOO-nos-TOH-mee. The stress (loudest part) falls on the third syllable, NOS. If you say it like jeh-joo-nos-TAH-mee with stress on the last syllable, that's incorrect.

Jejunostomy comes from three parts: jejuno (referring to the jejunum, the middle section of the small intestine), -stomy (meaning to create an opening), and the Latin root stoma (mouth or opening). So the word literally means 'creating an opening into the jejunum.'

Think of it as jeh-JOO-nos-TAH-mee, but remember the stress goes on the third syllable: NOS, not the last one. A helpful trick is to say 'jeh-JOO' quickly at the start, then emphasize 'NOS' loudly, then finish with 'toh-mee' more softly.

Jejunostomy means a surgical procedure that creates an opening through the belly into the middle part of the small intestine. This opening allows a feeding tube to be placed directly into that part of the intestine.

Many medical procedures use -stomy to mean 'creating an opening.' Examples include gastrostomy (opening into the stomach), colostomy (opening into the colon), and tracheostomy (opening into the trachea). They all follow the same pronunciation pattern with stress on the second syllable of the root word.

A common mistake is stressing the last syllable, saying jeh-joo-nos-TAH-mee instead of the correct jeh-JOO-NOS-toh-mee. Another error is rushing through or mispronouncing the 'jejuno' part at the beginning by saying jay-jay instead of jeh-joo.

You might hear a medical professional say, 'The surgeon recommended a jejunostomy to allow the patient to receive nutrition directly.' This tells you that the procedure creates a way to deliver food or nutrition into the intestine.

Yes, jejunostomy is sometimes shortened to J-tube or jejunal tube in medical settings. J-tube is pronounced 'jay-tube' and refers to the feeding tube placed through the jejunostomy opening.