Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cochlea

/ˈkoʊ.kli.ə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.27 in modern English

Syllables
cochlea
IPA
/ˈkoʊ.kli.ə/
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.

noun

A spiral-shaped shell, especially that of a snail.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cochlea (“a snail”), from Ancient Greek κόχλιας (kókhlias, “a snail with a spiral shell”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: cochlea, κόχλιας

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈkoʊ.kli.ə/
  • British English: /ˈkɒk.li.ə/

Inflected Forms

cochleae (plural) cochleas (plural)

Derived Forms

cochlear cochleitis

Questions

How do you pronounce cochlea?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkoʊ.kli.ə/.
What does cochlea mean?
The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.
Where does cochlea come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce cochlea

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cochlea”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkoʊ.kli.ə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cochlea”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “cochlea” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.