How to Pronounce Distal Phalanx

Say it like this: DIS-tal FAY-langks. The stress falls on the first syllable, DIS, which rhymes with 'miss.' The second part, phalanx, sounds like FAY-langks, where FAY rhymes with 'say.'

Distal means 'far from the center of the body' or 'toward the end.' It comes from the Latin word meaning 'distant.' In your hand, the distal phalanx is the bone farthest away from your wrist—right at your fingertip.

Phalanx (pronounced FAY-langks) is a Greek word that originally meant 'a line of soldiers standing closely together.' In anatomy, it refers to any of the bones in your fingers and toes. The plural is phalanges (fah-LAN-jeez).

There are four syllables total: dis-tal pha-lanx. Break it down as DIS (1) + tal (2) + FAY (3) + langks (4). The stress is on the first syllable of each word: DIS-tal FAY-langks.

Many people say fah-LANKS with the stress on the second syllable, but the correct way is FAY-langks with the stress on the first syllable. Remember: FAY rhymes with 'say,' not 'ah.'

It's simply the bone at the very tip of your finger or toe—the one right under your fingernail or toenail. It's the smallest and farthest bone in each digit.

Your fingers and thumbs have three phalanges each: the proximal phalanx (closest to your hand), the middle phalanx (in the center), and the distal phalanx (at the tip). Learning these three helps you understand hand bone anatomy.

Here's an example: 'The doctor pointed to the X-ray and explained that the distal phalanx is the bone you can feel just under your fingernail.' This sentence shows how the term is used to describe a specific bone location.