2 syllables: vo, mer. Stress on vo.
VOH-muhr
/ˈvoʊmər/
vomer is pronounced VOH-muhr (/ˈvoʊmər/). It has two syllables (vo-mer), with the stress on "vo". Vomer is a small paired skull bone forming part of the nasal septum. In anatomy contexts it refers to the single unpaired bone in the nasal cavity that contributes to the nasal septum’s bony support. The term is used chiefly in medical, dental, and anatomical discussions and is pronounced with careful attention to its two syllables and distinct vowels.
Vomer is a small paired skull bone forming part of the nasal septum. In anatomy contexts it refers to the single unpaired bone in the nasal cavity that contributes to the nasal septum’s bony support. The term is used chiefly in medical, dental, and anatomical discussions and is pronounced with careful attention to its two syllables and distinct vowels.
"The vomerbone contributes to the structure of the nasal septum."
"Anatomists identified the vomer as part of the facial skeleton."
"In the museum, the exhibit highlighted the vomer’s role in nasal formation."
Pronounce as /ˈvoʊmər/ in US English, with the primary stress on the first syllable. The first syllable has a long o sound like ‘go,’ followed by a light ‘mer’ with schwa-like r-coloring. In careful speech you’ll hear two clear sounds: VOH-mər. In UK English it commonly renders as /ˈvəʊmə(r)/, with a reduced initial schwa to /vəʊ/ and a non-rhotic ending in many varieties, though rhotic accents still pronounce the final /r/ in connected speech. Australian pronunciation is similar to US but with a more centralized vowel in the second syllable and a less prominent rhotic; often /ˈvoːmə/ or /ˈvoːməː/. Audio reference: you can compare with Forvo or YouGlish entries for native speakers saying “vomer.”
Two frequent pitfalls: misplacing the stress (say /ˈvoʊmər/ rather than vo‑MER) and conflating the second syllable with a full ‘er’ rather than a reduced ‘ər.’ Also, the initial vowel can slide from /oʊ/ to /oʊ/ in a way that sounds like ‘voh-mare’ to untrained ears. Correct by keeping the first syllable strong and the second syllable unstressed with a schwa-like ending: VOH-mər. Practice slow, then accelerate while maintaining the same vowel quality.
In US English, /ˈvoʊmər/ with rhotic ending. In UK English, /ˈvəʊmə/ often features a shorter, less pronounced final /r/ or non-rhotic ending in careful speech. Australian English typically shows /ˈvoːmə/ or /ˈvoːmə/ with a longer vowel in the first syllable and a light, non-rhotic ending in many speakers. Across accents, the key differences are rhoticity and vowel length; the first syllable’s vowel height and quality may shift slightly: US emphasizes a clear /oʊ/; UK favors a closer diphthong towards /əʊ/; AU tends to a more centralized final vowel with reduced rhoticity.
The challenge lies in the vowel diphthong in the first syllable and the light, unstressed second syllable. The combination /ˈvoʊ/ can be misarticulated as a shorter /vo/ or as /ˈvɒmər/ for non-native speakers. Also, midline nasal+r-sound can be tricky if your language doesn’t use schwa-like endings. Focus on sustaining the first syllable’s diphthong while keeping the final /ər/ light and quick.
In American English, the final -er is typically pronounced with a light, rhotic /ɹ/ or a schwa-like /ɚ/ depending on the speaker's rhythm, so you often hear /ˈvoʊmər/ where the /r/ is pronounced in rhotic varieties and reduced in non-rhotic or faster speech. In careful, careful enunciation, you maintain /ɚ/ quality as a soft, quick ending; in some accents, the /r/ is not pronounced distinctly when speech is non-rhotic.
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Vomer comes from Latin vomer, meaning a statedly ploughshare or a tool to strike, extended to anatomy to denote a plow-like or cutting edge shape. The root is likely related to Latin vomere, from vomere ‘to plow’ or ‘to strike’, reflecting the bone’s wedge-like, cutting-profile within the nasal cavity. The early anatomical tradition borrowed from the Latin term to describe a small, relatively flat, thin plate—resembling a blade or collinear wedge—within the nasal septum. In medieval and early modern anatomy texts, vomer frequently appeared alongside ethmoid and sphenoid bones as a component of the facial skeleton. The word’s usage expanded in the 17th–19th centuries with the formalization of craniofacial anatomy; by the 18th century, dissection manuals and encyclopedias often listed vomer as a distinct bone with a standardized morphological description. In modern anatomy, vomer is universally recognized as a single midline bone in humans, sometimes described as a vertical platelet with superior projection toward the nasal roof, contributing to septal integrity. First known use in English medical texts dates to the 17th century, aligning with Latin scholarly tradition and Latinized naming conventions for cranial bones.
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Words that rhyme with "vomer"
-ver sounds
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