Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

retina

/ˈɹɛt.ə.nə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.40 in modern English

Syllables
reti-na
IPA
/ˈɹɛt.ə.nə/
6
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball that contains rods and cones sensitive to light, which trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed.

Etymology

From Middle English rethina, borrowing from Medieval Latin rētīna (“retina”, feminine noun), ellipsis of tunica rētīna (“net-like tunic”), used to describe the blood vessel system at the back of the eye. The phrase is attested in the 12th century in Guillelmus the abbot and Gerard of Cremona—the latter may have created this phrase as a translation for Arabic طَبَقَة شَبَكِيَّة (ṭabaqa šabakiyya) "net-like layer", which translates Ancient Greek ἀμφιβληστροειδής χῐτών (amphiblēstroeidḗs khĭtṓn, “retina”), which is attested in the ancient medical writer Galen.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: rethina, rētīna

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɹɛt.ə.nə/
  • British English: /ˈɹɛt.ɪ.nə/

Inflected Forms

retinas (plural) retinae (plural) retinæ (archaic, plural)

Derived Forms

calretinin ectoretina hemiretina neuroretina retinal retinectomy retinex retinitis retinization retinize retinoic retinoid

Phrases

detached retina retino- retin-

Frequently Paired Words

retineum retinula

Rhymes With

smetana neuroretina hemiretina ectoretina

Questions

How do you pronounce retina?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹɛt.ə.nə/.
What does retina mean?
The thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball that contains rods and cones sensitive to light, which trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed.
Where does retina come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce retina

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