How to Pronounce Cusp

Cusp is pronounced like "KUSP" (rhymes with "husk"). It's a single syllable word, so you say the whole thing as one quick sound: KUSP.

A cusp is a pointed or rounded bump on the chewing surface of a tooth. Think of it like a little hill or peak that helps your teeth grip and break apart food when you chew.

Yes! In regular English, 'cusp' means any sharp point or the point where two curves meet. You might hear it used in astronomy (like "cusp of the moon") or in other contexts, but in medical language, it almost always refers to teeth.

Some people accidentally say "CUSS" (with an 's' sound like the word for swearing), but the correct way is "KUSP" (with a 'K' sound at the start). The 'c' in cusp sounds like a hard K, not an S.

Cusp has just one syllable—you say it all at once: KUSP. There's no breaking it into smaller parts like you would with longer medical words.

Sure! Here's an example: "The dentist pointed out that the cusps on my molars help me chew tough foods." Or: "I felt a sharp cusp on my back tooth with my tongue."

Yes, the plural is "cusps" (pronounced "KUSPS"). Since a single tooth usually has more than one cusp, you'll often hear dentists use the plural form when talking about teeth.

Cusp comes from Latin, where it originally meant a "point" or "pointed end." The word has been used in English for hundreds of years, so dentists borrowed it to describe the pointy parts of teeth.