4 syllables: tem, po, ra, lis. Stress on ra.
tem-PAW-ruh-lis
/ˌtɛmˈpɔːrəlɪs/
temporalis is pronounced tem-PAW-ruh-lis (/ˌtɛmˈpɔːrəlɪs/). It has four syllables (tem-po-ra-lis), with the stress on "ra". Temporalis is a paired jaw muscle on each side of the head that elevates and retracts the mandible, aiding chewing and jaw movement. In anatomy contexts, it also serves as a tendonous muscle entering the temple region. The term combines Latin roots for time (tempus) and temple (sides of the skull), reflecting its location near the temporal bone. It’s a technical, domain-specific word used in medicine and biology.
Temporalis is a paired jaw muscle on each side of the head that elevates and retracts the mandible, aiding chewing and jaw movement. In anatomy contexts, it also serves as a tendonous muscle entering the temple region. The term combines Latin roots for time (tempus) and temple (sides of the skull), reflecting its location near the temporal bone. It’s a technical, domain-specific word used in medicine and biology.
- You’ll often misplace stress on the first or second syllable; fix by practicing tem-po-RA-lis with a strong beat on the third syllable. - Vowel quality drift: avoid turning /æ/ into a lax, neutral vowel; keep a crisp /æ/ in the first vowel to maintain correct vowel height. - Final consonant: ensure you articulate the final /s/ clearly instead of dropping it into a voiceless glide. - In connected speech, you may link sounds too tightly; pause briefly between -po- and -RA- to keep each syllable distinct. Corrective steps: practice isolated syllables, then slow two-syllable chunks (tem-po) and (RA-lis), gradually adding speed while preserving clarity. - Record yourself and compare to IPA references; adjust tongue position as you listen for over-emphasis or slurring.
"The temporalis muscle plays a crucial role in mastication by elevating the mandible."
"An MRI showed hypertrophy of the temporalis in response to prolonged clenching."
"He described tenderness in the temporalis area after intense dental work."
Pronounce as /ˌtɛm.poˈræ.lɪs/ (US) or /ˌtem.pəˈræ.lɪs/ (UK/AU). The stress lands on the third syllable (-RA-). Break it into tem-po-RA-lis, with the -alis ending sounding like 'uh-lis' or 'ah-liss' depending on dialect. Start with a clearer /t/ then a light /ə/ in the second syllable, and finish with /lɪs/. You’ll hear the emphasis in the syllable preceding -lis; practice saying tem-po-RAL-is for a natural clinical delivery.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (tem-POR-a-lis instead of tem-po-RA-lis) and mispronouncing the -alis as ‘-alis’ with a short a like ‘ass’ instead of the clearer ‘uh-lis’. Another frequent mistake is shortening the middle vowel to a schwa without maintaining the open-mid quality. Correction: place primary stress on the third syllable and ensure /æ/ in the first vowel, with a clear /ɹ/ before -əl-; finish with /ɪs/ or /ɪz/ depending on rhythm. Practice slow, then normal pace using IPA cues.
US tends to use /ˌtɛm.poˈræ.lɪs/ with a rhotic 'r' and a clearer 'æ' in the first syllable. UK/AU often produce /ˌtem.pəˈræ.lɪs/ or /ˌtempəˈreɪlɪs/ depending on speaker, with less pronounced r and a schwa in the second syllable; the final -lis remains /lɪs/. Australian English typically merges certain vowel qualities and can be more centralized, but still keeps the stress on the third syllable. Focus on maintaining the -RA- stress and a crisp final -lis across dialects.
Crucial challenges include the multi-syllabic length and the -alis ending: the sequence -ro-lis with an /l/ plus a final /s/ can become slurred. The middle vowel can drift toward schwa; maintain a distinct /æ/ or /æ/ transitioning into /lɪs/. Also, the third-syllable primary stress is easy to misplace, especially if you’re not enunciating the o and a vowels clearly. Practice with IPA cues to lock the rhythm and rhythmical pulse.
A unique point is the -alis suffix onset in the final two syllables: -ra-lis. Many speakers slightly blend the /r/ and /l/; you should separate them: tem-po-RA-lis, with a bold /r/ before the /æ/ and a precise /l/ before the final /ɪs/. This clarity helps both medical readers and lay readers distinguish temporalis from similar terms like temporal or temporal bone.
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- US: rhotic, richer /ɹ/ before the vowel cluster; keep /æ/ stable and a clear /ˈræ/ in the stressed syllable. - UK: less rhoticity, potential schwa in second syllable; maintain a crisp /æ/ for the third syllable and a clean /l/ before the final /ɪ/ or /ɪz/. - AU: tends to center vowels more; retain the -ra-lis segmentation, but relax the second vowel slightly toward /ə/; emphasize the final /ɪs/ with a light, crisp /s/. IPA references: US /təˌmɔːˈrælɪs/ or /ˌtɛm.poˈræ.lɪs/; UK /ˌtem.pəˈræ.lɪs/; AU /təˈmɔː.rə.lɪs/. - General: keep the third syllable stress; avoid rushing the suffix. - Practice with minimal pairs contrasting rhotics and vowels to stabilize cross-dialect pronunciation.
Temporalis derives from Latin temporalis, from tempus, meaning time, and from the root tempor-, referring to the temple region of the skull (the side of the head). The term entered anatomical vocabulary via Latin-based scientific nomenclature that named muscles by location. The “temporalis” muscle sits on the temporal fossa of the skull and inserts into the coronoid process of the mandible, reflecting its function in jaw elevation and retraction. The earliest uses trace to early modern anatomy texts when Latin and Greek dominated medical terminology, with “temporalis” appearing as a standard anatomical label by the 16th–18th centuries as dissection and anatomical illustration advanced. Over time, it became a fixed technical term in textbooks and curricula, often paired with the masseter and pterygoids to describe masticatory muscle groups. While the root tempus also appears in other anatomical terms relating to the temple region, temporalis remains specifically the fan-shaped muscle of the temple that contributes to bite strength and jaw movement across species, though the exact configuration can vary slightly among mammals. In contemporary language, “temporalis” is primarily used in clinical, anatomical, and educational contexts rather than in everyday speech; it is recognized in medical dictionaries and anatomy atlases worldwide as the muscle occupying the temporal region on each side of the head.
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Words that rhyme with "temporalis"
-tor sounds
-ior sounds
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