How to Pronounce Sternum

Sternum is pronounced STER-num, with the stress on the first syllable. Say it like "STER" (rhymes with "her") followed by "num" (rhymes with "sum"). The first syllable should sound louder and longer than the second.

Sternum breaks into two syllables: ster-num. The first syllable is "ster" and the second is "num."

Many people accidentally stress the second syllable and say ster-NUM instead of STER-num. Remember: the emphasis belongs on the first syllable—STER-num—not the second.

Sternum is the medical word for your breastbone. It's the flat bone you feel in the center of your chest, right behind your skin.

Sternum comes from Latin and Greek origins meaning "chest" or "breast." The root "stern-" relates to the chest area, which is why this bone got its name.

Words like "sternal" (meaning related to the sternum) and "sternocleidomastoid" (a neck muscle) both share the "stern-" root that refers to the chest or breastbone.

Here's an example: "The doctor listened to her heart by placing the stethoscope over her sternum." This means the doctor placed the stethoscope on the breastbone area.

There isn't a common one-or-two-letter abbreviation for sternum in everyday medical language. Medical professionals usually just say or write out the full word "sternum."