How to Pronounce Third Metatarsal

Say it like this: 'therd met-ah-TAR-sal.' The stress falls on the third syllable, so you say 'TAR' louder and longer than the other parts. Think of it as 'THERD' (rhymes with 'bird') + 'met-ah-TAR-sal' (where TAR sounds like the sticky stuff on roads).

Many people stress the wrong syllable and say 'MET-ah-tar-sal' instead of 'met-ah-TAR-sal.' Remember: the emphasis belongs on TAR, not MET. Listen for the accent on the middle part of the word.

Break it down like this: 'third' (one syllable) + 'met-a-tar-sal' (four syllables). So altogether it's five syllables: third / met / a / tar / sal.

'Metatarsal' refers to the long bones in the middle of your foot, between your ankle and your toes. The word 'meta-' means 'beyond' or 'after,' and '-tarsal' comes from 'tarsus,' which is the ankle area. So it literally means the bones beyond (or after) the ankle bones.

There are five metatarsal bones in your foot, and they are numbered from the inside of your foot to the outside. The 'third metatarsal' is the bone under your middle toe—it's the third one in the count.

Yes! You have five metatarsal bones total, so you might hear doctors mention the first, second, fourth, or fifth metatarsal as well. They all follow the same naming pattern and are located in the middle of your foot.

The abbreviation is usually written as 'MT3' or sometimes 'M3,' where the number refers to which metatarsal bone it is. You might also see it written out as '3rd metatarsal' in medical notes.

Here's an example: 'The X-ray showed that the patient's third metatarsal was longer than average.' This sentence simply describes the location and appearance of a bone, without any medical recommendations.