Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sternocleidomastoid

/ˌstɝ.nəˌklaɪ.dəˈmæˌstɔɪd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.45 in modern English

Syllables
ster-n-oclei-do-mas-toid
IPA
/ˌstɝ.nəˌklaɪ.dəˈmæˌstɔɪd/
25
Scrabble Score
19
Letters
6
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Relating to or involving the sternum, the clavicle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone.

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin sternocleidomastoīdēs, from Latin sternum (“the breastbone”) + Ancient Greek κλείς (kleís, “the collarbone”) + Latin mastoīdēs (“like a breast”), equivalent to sterno- + cleido- + mastoid.

Word Breakdown

  • Root: sternocleidomastoīdēs, *(s)kleh₂w-, *sterh₃-

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌstɝ.nəˌklaɪ.dəˈmæˌstɔɪd/
  • British English: /ˌstɜː.nə(ʊ)ˌklʌɪ.də(ʊ)ˈma.stɔɪd/

Inflected Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce sternocleidomastoid?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌstɝ.nəˌklaɪ.dəˈmæˌstɔɪd/.
What does sternocleidomastoid mean?
Relating to or involving the sternum, the clavicle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone.
Where does sternocleidomastoid come from?
Borrowed from New Latin sternocleidomastoīdēs, from Latin sternum (“the breastbone”) + Ancient Greek κλείς (kleís, “the collarbone”) + Latin mastoīdēs (“like a breast”), equivalent to sterno- + cleido- + mastoid.

How to pronounce sternocleidomastoid

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