Note: I first published this on my primary blog in May 2013. It occurred to me that Curves is an even more relevant venue (although I had only a lumpectomy, not a mastectomy). Unbelievably, even a lot of women who’ve had a mastectomy still mispronounce it.
Search terms in one’s blog stats can be amusing or thought provoking. Often unintentionally so. Take the person who was searching here for “masectomy mis-pronunciation.” Gotta wonder if he or she pronounces the word like he/she spelled it, and thinks those who pronounce it otherwise are mistaken. Or perhaps, to the person’s credit, they were simply looking for the correct pronunciation. I don’t know, but it’s a major issue with me because I hear it so often. I cringe every time someone mispronounces it. The word is mas-TEC–tomy, with two t’s in it, not the excruciatingly common mispronunciation “mas-SEC-tomy.” So read carefully, please, and make sure you’re pronouncing it correctly. mas-TEC-tomy. Mastectomy. Got it?
/End of grammar rant. Sorry ’bout that.