How to Pronounce Extensor Pollicis Brevis

Say it like this: ek-STEN-sor POL-ih-sis BREV-is. The stress falls on the first syllable of each word—EK at the start, STEN in the middle, POL for the second word, and BREV for the last word. It's three separate words, so say each one clearly with a little pause between them.

'Extensor' comes from Latin and means 'to stretch out.' In anatomy, an extensor muscle is one that straightens or extends a joint, making it longer. So when you hear 'extensor,' think 'straightening muscle.'

'Pollicis' is Latin for 'of the thumb.' You'll see this root in other thumb-related medical words too. So 'pollicis' is the anatomist's way of saying 'belonging to the thumb.'

'Brevis' is a Latin word meaning 'short.' In anatomy, it's used to tell the difference between two similar muscles—the short one gets called 'brevis,' and the longer one gets called 'longus.' It's like naming them 'short' and 'long' in Latin.

The Extensor Pollicis Brevis is the short muscle in your forearm that helps straighten your thumb. Its name literally breaks down to 'short thumb-straightener,' which is exactly what it does.

Many people stress the wrong syllable in 'Extensor' by saying ex-TEN-sor instead of EK-STEN-sor. Remember: the stress goes on EK at the very beginning. Also, 'Pollicis' is often mispronounced as pole-ISS-is, but it should be POL-ih-sis.

Here's how it breaks down: Ek-STEN-sor (3 syllables) Pol-LI-sis (3 syllables) BREV-is (2 syllables). That's 8 syllables total, but don't worry—you'll usually hear doctors say it as three separate words with natural pauses.

You'll see 'pollicis' in other thumb muscles too, like 'Extensor Pollicis Longus' (the long thumb-straightener) and 'Flexor Pollicis Brevis.' Once you know 'pollicis' means 'of the thumb,' these related words become much easier to understand.