How to Pronounce Lumpectomy

Lumpectomy is pronounced lum-PEK-toh-mee. Say it like you're breaking it into four parts: "lum" (like the word lump), "PEK" (rhymes with neck), "toh" (like toe), and "mee" (like the letter M). The stress or emphasis goes on the second syllable: PEK.

The stress falls on the second syllable: lum-PEK-toh-mee. A common mistake is putting stress on the first syllable (LUM-pek-toh-mee) or the last syllable (lum-pek-toh-MEE), but neither of these is correct. Remember to say it louder and longer on the PEK part.

Lumpectomy has four syllables: lump-ec-to-my. When you say it out loud, you should hear four distinct parts as you pronounce each vowel sound.

Lumpectomy literally means the removal of a lump. "Lump" refers to a tumor, and the ending "-ectomy" is a medical term meaning to cut out or remove. So a lumpectomy is a surgical procedure where a lump is removed from the breast.

Lumpectomy comes from two parts: "lump" (the everyday English word for a swollen bump or mass) and "-ectomy" (a suffix from Greek that means "surgical removal of"). You'll see the "-ectomy" ending in many surgery names, like appendectomy (removal of the appendix) and vasectomy (removal of part of the vas deferens).

The suffix "-ectomy" appears in many surgical terms: mastectomy (removal of breast tissue), hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), and appendectomy (removal of the appendix). All of these words describe procedures that remove something from the body.

Yes, lumpectomy is sometimes shortened to "lump" in casual medical conversation, but the full term lumpectomy is more formal and precise. You may also hear it written as WLE (wide local excision) in some medical settings, though that is a different way of naming a similar concept.

Here's an example: "The surgical team explained that the lumpectomy would be performed on an outpatient basis." Or: "She asked her doctor to explain what to expect during a lumpectomy."