# stern vs sternum

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### stern
*adjective · IPA /stɜːn/ · frequency rank #8,356*
Having a hardness and severity of nature or manner.

### sternum
*noun · IPA /ˈstɜː.nəm/ · frequency rank #39,108*
The breastbone, consisting of the manubrium, gladiolus, and xiphoid process.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stern-vs-sternum