How to Pronounce Corrugator Supercilii

Say it like this: KOR-uh-gay-tor soo-per-SIL-ee-eye. The stress falls on the first syllable of the first word (KOR) and on the third syllable of the second word (SIL). Think of it as "COR-uh-GAY-tor" paired with "soo-per-SIL-ee-eye."

It's a small muscle above your eyebrow that pulls your eyebrows down and together. When you frown or concentrate hard, this muscle is what creates those vertical wrinkles between your brows.

Corrugator breaks into five syllables: cor-RU-ga-tor. Supercilii breaks into four syllables: su-per-SIL-i-i. Together the full term has nine syllables total.

Corrugator comes from Latin and means "to wrinkle" or "to furrow." The word describes exactly what this muscle does—it creates wrinkles and furrows when it contracts.

Supercilii (pronounced soo-per-SIL-ee-eye) is the Latin word for "eyebrows." Super- means "above" and cilii refers to the hairs on the eyebrow, so together it literally means "the hairs above the eye."

Many people stress the wrong syllable and say "cor-RU-gay-tor" instead of "KOR-uh-gay-tor." Remember: the first syllable gets the stress, just like in the word "corridor."

Yes, medical professionals often just call it "the corrugator" for short. You pronounce it the same way: KOR-uh-gay-tor.

You might hear terms like "corrugator muscles" (plural) or "corrugator activity" in medical discussions. The word corrugator also appears in other anatomy terms whenever something involves wrinkling or furrowing.

Here's an example: "The corrugator supercilii muscle is responsible for the deep wrinkle that forms between your eyebrows when you concentrate." This shows how the word is used in everyday medical language.