mak-SIL-uh-ree
/mæˈksɪləˌɹi/
maxillary is pronounced mak-SIL-uh-ree (/mæˈksɪləˌɹi/). Maxillary refers to the upper jaw or pertaining to the maxilla, the bone that forms part of the skull and upper dental arch. It is used in medical, anatomical, and dental contexts to describe structures, processes, or anomalies related to the upper jaw. The term is common in clinical descriptions and anatomical classifications among professionals.
Maxillary refers to the upper jaw or pertaining to the maxilla, the bone that forms part of the skull and upper dental arch. It is used in medical, anatomical, and dental contexts to describe structures, processes, or anomalies related to the upper jaw. The term is common in clinical descriptions and anatomical classifications among professionals.
- You may flatten the word: avoid turning maxillary into ‘maks-uh-ler-ee’; keep the /ɪ/ in the second syllable and the /l/ clearly heard before the final /əri/. - Another error: replacing /ks/ with /k/ or /z/ in the second syllable, producing ‘mak-sillary’ instead of /ˈmæksɪləri/. - Final syllable: don’t over pronounce as /-ɛri/; aim for /-əri/ with a short, unstressed schwa. - In rapid speech, the word can sound like /ˈmæksɪləri/; slow it to /ˈmæksɪləri/ to preserve distinct syllables. - Practice tip: focus on the transition between /ks/ and /ɪ/ and the /l/ before /əri/; keep the mouth in steady positions to avoid slurring.
"The maxillary sinus lies above the upper teeth within the maxilla."
"A fracture in the maxillary bone can affect both appearance and function."
"Maxillary implants require precise alignment with the existing dentition."
Say MAX-i-lair-ee, with primary stress on the first syllable: /ˈmæksɪləri/. The middle vowel is a short i as in kit, and the final -ary is a schwa+r sound: -ə-ri. In careful speech you’ll hear a slight reduction to /ˈmæksɪlərɪ/ in rapid contexts. Mouth posture: lips neutral to slightly rounded, tongue high for /æ/ and /ɪ/, then a light, relaxed /l/ and final /əri/.
Common errors include reducing the second syllable too much (pronouncing it as MAX-e-lary) and misplacing the /l/ or merging /l/ with a following /ə/; another pitfall is treating the final -ary as /ɑri/ instead of /əri/. To correct: keep /ˈmæksɪləri/ with a clear /l/ before the final /əri/, and ensure the second syllable has a short /ɪ/ rather than a long vowel. Practice saying MAX, then quickly insert /ɪl/ before /əri/.
In US English the final vowel is a rhotacized /ər/ sound in rapid speech: /ˈmæksɪləri/. In UK English you’ll hear /ˈmæksɪləri/ with a non-rhotic tendency in careful speech, though /ˈmæksɪləri/ is common in forward-lag speech. Australian tends to be closer to US but with slightly broader vowel quality; some speakers insert a subtle schwa in the third syllable: /ˈmæksɪləri/. The main differences: rhoticity on the final syllable and vowel quality of the second syllable.
It blends a stressed initial syllable with a cluster- heavy mid syllable (/ksɪl/) and a final unstressed -ary that often reduces to /əri/. The tricky parts are maintaining a crisp /ks/ cluster after /mæ/, then producing a clean /l/ before the schwa+r sequence. Also, the -illary to -illary transition can be misheard as /mæksɪlæri/; keep the light, yet clear /l/ and the /ri/ sequence. IPA anchor: /ˈmæksɪləri/.
There are no silent letters in standard usage, and stress is consistently on the first syllable: MAX-i-lary. The main point is not silent letters but precise articulation of /ks/ in the second consonant cluster and the /l/ before the final /əri/. Mis-stressing or misplacing the /l/ can make it sound slurred. Remember the word is three syllables with primary stress on the first.
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- US: emphasize rhotic /ɹ/ in the final syllable; make /əri/ sound like /əri/ with a light rolling r if you’re comfortable; IPA: /ˈmæksɪləri/. - UK: less rhotic in careful speech; the final /ri/ is lighter and avoids a distinct rhotic vowel; IPA: /ˈmæksɪləri/. - AU: similar to US with slightly broader vowels; maintain the /æ/ in the first syllable and a crisp /ks/ cluster; IPA: /ˈmæksɪləri/. - Vowel notes: second syllable uses a short /ɪ/ as in kit; avoid a long /i/; keep the final /ə/ before /ri/.
The word maxillary derives from Late Latin maxilla, meaning ‘jawbone’ or ‘jaw,’ ultimately from the Latin maxillum or maxilla, a diminutive form of mala ‘jaw.’ The suffix -ary is a Latin-derived adjectival ending meaning ‘belonging to’ or ‘connected with.’ The term entered English through medical and anatomical texts to specify structures pertaining to the maxilla, the paired bone that forms the upper jaw and participates in the orbital, nasal, and dental architectures. Historically, Latin maxilla appeared in anatomical language from the Renaissance onward as surgeons and anatomists systematized skull anatomy; English usage followed suit in the 18th–19th centuries with the growing discipline of dentistry and craniofacial anatomy. The distinction from mandibular (lower jaw) became standardized as precision in anatomical nomenclature grew, with maxillary becoming a routine descriptor in clinical descriptions, imaging reports, and dental procedures. First known English usages appear in anatomical treatises and dental catalogs of the 17th–19th centuries, reflecting the broader expansion of medical vocabulary into everyday clinical practice.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "maxillary" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "maxillary"
-ary sounds
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