sternocleidomastoid
/ˌstɝ.nəˌklaɪ.dəˈmæˌstɔɪd/adjective, noun
sternocleidomastoid is spelled S-T-E-R-N-O-C-L-E-I-D-O-M-A-S-T-O-I-D: 19 letters and 6 syllables. It appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 182,517th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, sternocleidomastoid means “Relating to or involving the sternum, the clavicle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in sternocleidomastoid?
| Letters | 19: S-T-E-R-N-O-C-L-E-I-D-O-M-A-S-T-O-I-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 6 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 35 million words; the 182,517th 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 sternocleidomastoid?
Sternocleidomastoid appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 182,517th 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 sternocleidomastoid?
- UK /ˌstɜː.nə(ʊ)ˌklʌɪ.də(ʊ)ˈma.stɔɪd/
- US /ˌstɝ.nəˌklaɪ.dəˈmæˌstɔɪd/
Sternocleidomastoid has 6 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of sternocleidomastoid
- sternocleidomastoids plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sternocleidomastoid mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Relating to or involving the sternum, the clavicle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone.
- 2
Of or pertaining to the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
noun
- 1
Ellipsis of sternocleidomastoid muscle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sternocleidomastoid in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense pertaining to the sternocleidomastoid muscle:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | esternocleidomastóideo |
| Spanish | esternocleidomastoideo |
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 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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).