This week we begin the series "Take Note" in which Canopy Innovations will be giving you some tips on Medical Spanish. If you want more insight, you can always check Canopy Speak, the largest library of multilingual medical phrases. To further your knowledge, subscribe to Canopy Learn, the #1 Medical Spanish e-Learning System.

In this post, we will be learning the difference between two similar words: Mama and Mamá. Although they spell the same, they have different meanings.

Mama = BREAST
Mamá = MOTHER

Example:
Me duele la mama = My breast hurts
Mi mamá está enferma = My mother is sick
La mama de mi mamá duele = My mother's breast hurts

Another difference between the two words is the way they are pronounced. In mama, the first vowel is stressed, while in Mamá it is the second one (marked by the graphic sign).

So, next time you have a patient that has issues with her breast or is just bringing her/his mother be aware of these two words, so you don't make any mistakes.