eardrum
/ˈiɚˌdɹʌm/noun
eardrum is spelled E-A-R-D-R-U-M: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, eardrum means “A thin membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear and transmits sound from the air to the malleus” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of eardrum is eardrums.
How many letters and syllables are in eardrum?
| Letters | 7: E-A-R-D-R-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 57,423rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is eardrum?
Eardrum appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce eardrum?
- UK /ˈɪəˌdɹʌm/
- US /ˈiɚˌdɹʌm/
Eardrum has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-eardrum.ogg, En-us-eardrum.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with eardrum
Also written: ear drum (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of eardrum
- eardrums plural
- ear drum
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does eardrum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A thin membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear and transmits sound from the air to the malleus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Eardrum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense membrane separating outer and middle ears:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | tympan |
| German | Trommelfell |
| Portuguese | tímpano |
| Spanish | tímpano |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does eardrum come from?
From ear + drum.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).