How to Pronounce Auricularis Posterior

Say it like this: aw-rik-yoo-LAIR-is pos-TEER-ee-or. The stress falls on the third syllable of the first word (LAIR) and the second syllable of the second word (TEER). If you break it into chunks, it's easier: first say 'aw-rik-yoo-LAIR-is,' then 'pos-TEER-ee-or.'

Many people stress the wrong syllable and say 'au-RIK-yoo-lar-is' instead of 'aw-rik-yoo-LAIR-is.' Remember that the stress should land on LAIR, not on the second syllable. Another common slip is saying 'post-TEER-ee-or' instead of 'pos-TEER-ee-or.'

The first word breaks down like this: au-ric-u-LAR-is (5 syllables). The second word is: pos-TER-i-or (4 syllables). Together that's 9 syllables total, but don't worry—just focus on saying each part slowly and clearly.

'Auricularis' comes from the Latin word 'auricula,' which means 'ear' or 'little ear.' 'Posterior' also comes from Latin and means 'toward the back' or 'behind.' So the full term literally means 'relating to the back of the ear.'

It's the name of a small muscle located behind your outer ear. In simpler terms, you could just call it 'the back-ear muscle.' It's one of several tiny muscles around your ear that connect to your skull.

'Auricularis anterior' (the front-ear muscle) and 'auricularis superior' (the upper-ear muscle) are related terms that name other small ear muscles. They all start with 'auricularis' because they all relate to the ear, but they differ in their direction: anterior means 'front,' superior means 'above,' and posterior means 'back.'

Here's an example: 'The auricularis posterior is one of the small muscles that sits behind the ear.' Another way to say it: 'Doctors can feel the auricularis posterior when they examine the area behind the ear.'

You might see it abbreviated as 'AP' in medical writing, but in everyday speech, people usually say the full name 'auricularis posterior' or simply describe it as 'the posterior ear muscle.' The abbreviation is rarely used in conversation.