Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

proximal

/ˈpɹɒksɪməl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.17 in modern English

Syllables
prox-i-mal
IPA
/ˈpɹɒksɪməl/
19
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Facing toward another tooth. The proximal surfaces of a tooth are those that touch or are close to neighboring teeth.

adj

Closer to the speaker.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *prokʷe Proto-Indo-European *prokʷism̥mos Latin proximus English -al English proximal From Latin proximus, superlative form of prope (“near, nigh”).

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /ˈpɹɒksɪməl/

Inflected Forms

more proximal (comparative) most proximal (superlative)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Antonyms

distal antonym(s) of “closer to the point of attachment closer to the speaker”

Questions

How do you pronounce proximal?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒksɪməl/.
What does proximal mean?
Closer to the point of attachment or observation.
Where does proximal come from?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *prokʷe Proto-Indo-European *prokʷism̥mos Latin proximus English -al English proximal From Latin proximus, superlative form of prope (“near, nigh”).

How to pronounce proximal

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