Incus is a small, anvil-shaped middle ear bone that transmits sound vibrations from the malleus to the stapes. In anatomical terms, it is one of the three auditory ossicles essential for efficient hearing. The word is used in anatomy and medicine and is pronounced with two syllables. The term has Latin roots and is primarily found in scientific contexts.
"The incus forms part of the ossicular chain inside the middle ear."
"During the anatomy lecture, we studied the incus and its connection to the malleus."
"Damage to the incus can affect sound transmission and hearing acuity."
"The radiographs showed the incus along with the other ossicles in the temporal bone."
Incus comes from Latin incūs, meaning anvil, reflecting the bone’s shape in the middle ear. The term likely derives from the Old Latin ‘incus,’ related to ‘incidere’ meaning to strike, echoing the bone’s role in transmitting mechanical vibrations. In anatomical vocabulary, ‘incus’ was adopted into medical Latin in the Renaissance as surgeons and anatomists formalized the ossicular chain naming. The first known uses appear in anatomical texts of the late 16th to early 17th centuries as print culture expanded. Over time, incus became standardized in English medical terminology, consistently paired with malleus (hammer) and stapes (stirrup). The pronunciation stabilized as /ˈɪŋ.kəs/ in English, aligning with Latin stress patterns and the two-syllable structure common to ossicle names. In modern usage, the word remains a precise, formal label for the innermost ear bone, seldom used outside anatomy and clinical contexts.
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Words that rhyme with "Incus"
-cus sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as IN-guss with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ˈɪŋ.kəs/. The first vowel is a short, lax /ɪ/ as in 'sit,' followed by a clear /ŋ/ nasal, then a reduced second syllable /kəs/ with a short /ə/ or /ɪ/ quality in fast speech. Place the tongue high and back for /ɪŋ/ and finish with a light /k/ release and /s/ sibilant. Audio references can help you hear the exact timing of the two syllables.
Common errors: misplacing the nasal /ŋ/ by using /n/ or keeping the second syllable too long. Another error is pronouncing /ɪ/ as a lax /iː/ or turning /kəs/ into /kuz/ due to vowel rounding. Correct approach: start with /ˈɪŋ/—keep the nasal closure behind the teeth, not the tongue tip—and end with /kəs/, keeping the /ə/ reduced and the /s/ sharp. Practice saying INN-guss with crisp /ŋ/ followed by a quick, clean /k/ and /s/.
US/UK/AU all share /ˈɪŋ.kəs/, but rhoticity remains unaffected by the ossicle term itself; differences lie mainly in vowel quality: US tends toward a shorter schwa /ə/ in the second syllable and a slightly tenser /ɪ/; UK often shows a more centralized /ə/ and a slightly crisper /s/ at the end; AU aligns closely with US but may display a subtle vowel reduction in fast speech. Overall the core is /ˈɪŋ.kəs/ across accents.
The difficulty comes from the short, unstressed second syllable and the /ŋ/ consonant cluster immediately preceding a /k/ release, which can be tricky when followed by /s/. Additionally, the Latin-origin clinical term lacks everyday usage, reducing muscle memory. Focus on maintaining a strong initial /ɪ/ and accurate velar plosive /k/ before the final /s/. Slow practice helps reinforce the sequence and timing.
No; everything is pronounced. The word has two syllables: /ˈɪŋ.kəs/. The second syllable uses a reduced vowel /ə/ or a near-schwa, not a silent letter. Ensure you voice the final /s/ clearly to avoid muting it, which is a common error in rapid medical speech.
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