Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

maxilla

/mækˈsɪl.ə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.45 in modern English

Syllables: max-ill-a
IPA: /mækˈsɪl.ə/

16

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Synonym of jaw.

noun

Synonym of jaw.

noun

One of the first or second pair of mouthparts posterior to the mandibles in many arthropods that are used for tasting and manipulating food.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Latin māxilla (“the jawbone, jaw”), diminutive of māla (“the cheekbone, jaw”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: -, māxilla

Inflected Forms

maxillae (plural) maxillæ (obsolete, plural) maxillas (plural)

Derived Forms

endomaxilla hemimaxilla intermaxilla maxillar maxillary maxillate maxillectomy maxilliferous maxilliform maxilliped maxillipede premaxilla

Phrases

maxillo- maxill-

Frequently Paired Words

mandible

Synonyms

jawbone maxillary bone endite upper jaw upper jawbone maxillary

Rhymes With

villa manila vanilla gorilla guerrilla godzilla camilla sevilla priscilla padilla guerilla attila

Questions

How do you pronounce maxilla?: The recorded pronunciation is /mækˈsɪl.ə/.
What does maxilla mean?: Synonym of jaw.
Where does maxilla come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce maxilla

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