Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

neuron

/ˈn(j)ʊɹɑn/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.16 in modern English

Syllables: neu-ron
IPA: /ˈn(j)ʊɹɑn/

6

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A cell of the nervous system, which conducts nerve impulses; consisting of an axon and several dendrites. Neurons are connected by synapses.

noun

A nervure of an insect's wing.

noun

A mathematical function serving as an essential unit of an artificial neural network.

Example Sentences

"The yawning gap in neuroscientists’ understanding of their topic is in the intermediate scale of the brain’s anatomy. Science has a passable knowledge of how individual nerve cells, known as neurons, work. It also knows which visible lobes and ganglia of the brain do what. But how the neurons are organised in these lobes and ganglia remains obscure."

Etymology

From New Latin, from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve”), doublet of nerve and sinew. By surface analysis, neuro- + -on.

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: *(s)neh₁-, -, νεῦρον

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈn(j)ʊɹɑn/
British English: /ˈnjʊəɹɒn/

Inflected Forms

neurons (plural) neura (plural) neurone (alternative, UK)

Derived Forms

algoneuron antineuron clusteron interneuron multineuron neuronal neuronally neuronic neuronitis neuronlike neuronopathic neuronopathy

Phrases

antimirror neuron get someone's neurons firing input neuron Jennifer Aniston neuron medium spiny neuron mirror neuron motor neuron motor neuron disease

Frequently Paired Words

neural neuralgia neuritis neurology neuroscience neurosis neura neurode

Synonyms

neurocyte nerve cell neuron

Rhymes With

fleuron

Questions

How do you pronounce neuron?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈn(j)ʊɹɑn/.
What does neuron mean?: A cell of the nervous system, which conducts nerve impulses; consisting of an axon and several dendrites. Neurons are connected by synapses.
Where does neuron come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce neuron

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