Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sclera

/ˈsklɛrə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.04 in modern English

Syllables: scle-ra
IPA: /ˈsklɛrə/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.

Example Sentences

"She'd been back a week and it was clear that college-level track was kicking her ass, the sclera in her normally wide manga-eyes were shot through with blood vessels."
"Such pressures explain why humans are peculiar in having our rather small irises set against a white background—the sclera—in our eyes. Anyone watching us can infer where we are looking or whom we are looking at."

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin sclera, from Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”).

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: σκληρός

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsklɛrə/

Inflected Forms

scleras (plural) sclerae (plural) scleræ (plural)

Derived Forms

corneosclera episclera scleral scleritis

Phrases

sclero-

Frequently Paired Words

scleralization sclero- conjunctiva cornea iris

Synonyms

sclerotic sclerotic coat

Rhymes With

clara santa clara sahara eire viscachera era vera lira hera madeira lire lyra

Questions

How do you pronounce sclera?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsklɛrə/.
What does sclera mean?: The white of the eye; the tough outer coat of the eye that covers the eyeball except for the cornea.
Where does sclera come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce sclera

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