tympanum
/ˈtɪm.pən.əm/noun
tympanum is spelled T-Y-M-P-A-N-U-M: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 81,375th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tympanum means “The eardrum (tympanic membrane, membrana tympanica)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tympanum is tympanums or tympana.
How many letters and syllables are in tympanum?
| Letters | 8: T-Y-M-P-A-N-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 7 million words; the 81,375th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is tympanum?
Tympanum appears about once in every 7 million words in written English, the 81,375th 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 tympanum?
- /ˈtɪm.pən.əm/
Tympanum has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-tympanum.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of tympanum
- tympanums plural
- tympana plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tympanum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
archaicA drum.
- 2
The eardrum (tympanic membrane, membrana tympanica).
- 3
The main portion of the middle ear: the tympanic cavity (cavitas tympani).
- 4
A thin tense membrane covering the hearing organ on the leg or body of some insects, sometimes adapted (as in cicadas) for producing sound.
- 5
A membranous resonator in a sound-producing organ in frogs and toads.
- 6
(in certain birds) The labyrinth at the bottom of the windpipe.
- 7
A vertical recessed triangular space between the sides of a pediment, typically decorated.
- 8
The recessed triangular space within an arch, and above a lintel or a subordinate arch, spanning the opening below the arch.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tympanum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Tympanum |
| Portuguese | 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 tympanum come from?
Borrowed from Latin tympanum (“a drum, timbrel, tambourine; the eardrum”). Doublet of timbre, timpani, timbal, and tymbal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).