An electrocariogram (ECG or EKG, abbreviated from the German Elektrokardiogramm) is a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical activity of the heart over time. Its name is made of different parts: electro, because it is related to electrical activity, cardio, Greek for heart, gram, a Greek root meaning "to write". The abbreviation "EKG" is preferred over the more straightforward "ECG" in oral communication, because the latter may be misheard as EEG.