Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

isthmus

/ˈɪs.məs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.82 in modern English

Syllables
isth-mus
IPA
/ˈɪs.məs/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, and connecting two larger landmasses.

noun

Any such narrow part connecting two larger structures.

noun

An edge in a graph whose deletion increases the number of connected components of the graph.

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin isthmus (“a strip of land between two seas”), from Ancient Greek ῐ̓σθμός (ĭsthmós, “neck, narrow passage”), possibly from εἶμῐ (eîmĭ, “to go”). Cognate to Old Norse eið (“isthmus”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *h₁ey-, isthmus, ῐ̓σθμός

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɪs.məs/
  • British English: /ˈɪsθ.məs/

Inflected Forms

isthmuses (plural) isthmi (plural)

Derived Forms

isthmectomy isthmusectomy isthmian isthmic isthmitis isthmoid

Phrases

Bird's Neck Isthmus isthmo- isthm- Isthmus-Mecayapan Nahuatl Isthmus Nahuatl Isthmus of Corinth isthmus of fauces Isthmus of Panama

Frequently Paired Words

land bridge peninsula

Synonyms

band

Rhymes With

christmas kiritimati

Questions

How do you pronounce isthmus?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɪs.məs/.
What does isthmus mean?
A narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, and connecting two larger landmasses.
Where does isthmus come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce isthmus

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