How to Pronounce Serratus Anterior

Say it like this: ser-AY-tus an-TEER-ee-or. The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word (AY) and the second syllable of the second word (TEER). Think of "ser" like the beginning of "sermon," then "AY" like the letter A, then "tus" to finish the first word.

Serratus breaks into 3 syllables: ser-RA-tus. Anterior breaks into 4 syllables: an-TEER-ee-or. Together, the full term has 7 syllables, but you'll mainly hear the stress on ser-AY-tus and an-TEER-ee-or.

People often say ser-RAH-tus (stressing the wrong syllable) or ser-AY-tis (changing the ending sound). The correct way is ser-AY-tus, where the "tus" rhymes with "bus," not "tis."

Serratus comes from Latin and means "saw-toothed" or "jagged." The muscle got this name because its edges look like the teeth of a saw when you look at it from the side.

Anterior is a Latin word meaning "toward the front." In anatomy, it always means the front side or forward direction of the body, so serratus anterior is the saw-toothed muscle on the front side of your body.

Think of it as "the front, jagged muscle." The serratus part tells you it has a zigzag or saw-tooth shape, and anterior tells you it's located toward the front of your body, on the sides of your chest.

Sure! Here's an example: "Your serratus anterior muscle helps you reach your arm forward and overhead." Or: "The serratus anterior is sometimes called the boxer's muscle because boxers use it when throwing punches."

Several medical terms use anterior: anterior tibial (front of the shin), anterior pituitary (front part of the pituitary gland), and anterior chamber (front part of the eye). Whenever you see anterior in a medical word, it means the front or forward part.