How to Pronounce Depressor Anguli Oris

Say it like this: deh-PRES-or ANG-gyoo-lye OR-is. The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word (PRES), so you say it a bit louder and longer than the other parts. The second and third words are Latin anatomical terms, so they have that classical Latin sound to them.

Depressor comes from the Latin word meaning "to push down" or "to lower." In anatomy, it refers to a muscle that pulls or moves something downward. In this case, the depressor anguli oris pulls the corners of your mouth down.

Anguli oris is Latin for "corners of the mouth." Anguli means corners or angles, and oris means of the mouth. So when you put the whole name together, it tells you the muscle pulls down on the corners of the mouth.

The full term has nine syllables broken down like this: de-PRES-sor (3) / ANG-gu-li (3) / OR-is (2). When you say it all together smoothly, you'll stress the PRES in depressor and the ANG in anguli.

Many people stress the first syllable and say DEH-pressor instead of deh-PRES-or, or they mispronounce the Latin parts by using English sounds. Remember: the stress belongs on the second syllable of depressor, and keep the Latin pronunciation with that classical sound, especially the ANG-gyoo part.

This muscle is sometimes called the triangularis muscle because of its triangular shape. Both names are correct, so you might hear either one used in medical or anatomy contexts.

It's the muscle that pulls the corners of your mouth downward to create a frown. Think of it as the opposite of smiling—when this muscle contracts, your mouth turns down at the corners.

You might say: "The depressor anguli oris is one of several muscles involved in facial expression." Or: "To understand how the face moves, anatomy students learn about the depressor anguli oris and other facial muscles."