How to Pronounce Body of Sternum

Say it like this: BOD-ee uv STER-num. The first word rhymes with "noddy," the middle word sounds like "of," and sternum rhymes with "turn 'em." The stress falls on the first syllable of "body" (BOD), so it sounds like you're emphasizing the beginning.

Stress the first syllable: BOD-ee uv STER-num. A common mistake is putting equal weight on both "body" and "sternum," but you should say "BOD" louder and faster, then let the rest flow naturally.

Break it into five syllables: BOD-ee uv STER-num. "Body" has two syllables, "of" is one, and "sternum" is two. When you say it smoothly, it flows as one phrase rather than three separate words.

The sternum is simply your breastbone—the flat bone that runs down the middle of your chest. The "body of sternum" is the long middle section of it, which is the biggest part.

"Sternum" comes from Latin and originally meant "chest" or "breastbone." The word has been used in anatomy for hundreds of years because Latin was the language of medicine and science.

"Gladiolus" is an older Latin name for the body of the sternum—it means "little sword" because of the shape. You might hear doctors or older textbooks use this term, but "body of sternum" is more common today.

You might hear "sternocleidomastoid" (a neck muscle) or "costochondral" when talking about ribs and sternum together. All these terms contain "stern-" to show they relate to the breastbone.

You could say: "The doctor explained that the body of sternum is where many ribs attach." Or: "In anatomy class, we learned that the body of sternum is the middle part of the breastbone."