How to Pronounce Coccyx Fracture
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Coccyx Fracture Pronunciation
KOK-siks FRAK-chur
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
KOK
stress here
siks FRAK
chur
3 syllables
What is Coccyx Fracture?
A fracture or dislocation of the coccyx (tailbone), typically caused by a fall onto the buttocks or during childbirth, causing severe localized pain worsened by sitting and defecation. Most coccyx fractures heal without surgery, though pain can persist for months.
Questions About Coccyx Fracture
How do you pronounce 'coccyx fracture'?
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Say it as KOK-siks FRAK-chur. The first word rhymes with 'locks' but starts with a K sound, and the second word sounds like 'fracture' in English. The stress falls on the first syllable of each word: KOK-siks and FRAK-chur.
What does 'coccyx' mean in plain English?
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Coccyx is the medical word for your tailbone—the small, triangular bone at the very bottom of your spine. It's a part of your skeleton that most people don't think about until something goes wrong with it.
Where does the word 'coccyx' come from?
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The word comes from ancient Greek and originally meant 'cuckoo bird' because the bone's curved shape looked like a cuckoo's beak to early anatomists. Over time, it became the official medical term for the tailbone.
How do you break 'coccyx fracture' into syllables?
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Break it into: COC-CYX FRAC-TURE. That's two syllables for the first word and two for the second word, making four syllables total.
What's a common mispronunciation of 'coccyx'?
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Many people accidentally say 'cox-ix' or stress the second syllable as 'cock-SIX,' but the correct way puts the stress on the first syllable: KOK-siks. Think of it starting like the word 'cock,' not 'cox.'
What does 'fracture' mean in medical language?
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Fracture is the medical word for a break in a bone. It comes from Latin and is used in medicine the same way you'd use 'break' in everyday language—a coccyx fracture is a broken tailbone.
Are there other medical words that use 'coccyx'?
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Yes! Coccygeal (pronounced ko-SIJ-ee-ul) is an adjective meaning 'relating to the coccyx,' as in 'coccygeal nerves' or 'coccygeal vertebrae.' You might also hear 'coccydynia,' which is a medical term for pain in that area.
How would you use 'coccyx fracture' in a sentence?
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You might hear it used like this: 'The doctor explained that she had a coccyx fracture from her fall.' It's a straightforward medical term that describes a specific type of bone injury.