How to Pronounce Fifth Metacarpal

Say it like this: "FIFTH met-ah-KAR-pal." The word "fifth" sounds like the number, and "metacarpal" breaks into three parts: "met" (rhymes with "met"), "ah" (like the 'a' in "father"), and "KAR-pal" (with the stress on "KAR"). Put it together smoothly, and you've got it right.

The stress falls on the third syllable: "KAR." A common mistake is stressing the first syllable and saying "MET-ah-carpal," but the correct way is "met-ah-KAR-pal." Think of the word "car" inside "metacarpal" — that's where your voice should get louder and stronger.

Split it like this: "met-ah-KAR-pal." That's four syllables total. Breaking words into syllables helps you see the structure and makes it easier to remember where the stress belongs.

"Metacarpal" refers to one of the long bones in your hand, between your wrist and your knuckles. The "fifth metacarpal" specifically is the bone in your pinky finger — it's the one you feel when you make a fist and look at your knuckles.

"Metacarpal" comes from Greek roots: "meta-" means "beyond" or "after," and "carpal" comes from "carpus," which means "wrist." So the name describes bones that sit after (or beyond) the wrist, leading toward your fingers.

You have five metacarpals total — one for each finger. They're called the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth metacarpals. You say each the same way: "first met-ah-KAR-pal," "second met-ah-KAR-pal," and so on. The first metacarpal is in your thumb, and the fifth is in your pinky.

Yes, doctors sometimes write it as "MC5" or "5th MC," where "MC" is short for "metacarpal." You'd say this as "em-cee-five" or "fifth em-cee." Both the full term and the abbreviation are correct ways to refer to the same bone.

Here's an example: "The X-ray showed a fracture of the fifth metacarpal." This sentence tells you which bone is being discussed — the long bone in your pinky finger — without any guessing about which part of your hand is involved.

A very common mistake is saying "met-ah-kar-PAL" with the stress on the last syllable instead of the third one. Remember: the stress goes on "KAR," not on "pal." Listen to the correct version a few times, and this pattern should stick with you.