Prone-Supine | Commonly Confused Words

Prone

/prəʊn/

Likely to do or experience something, usually something negative

Lying flat on the back facing upward

Think of prone as lying face down; its like putting the word on its face.'
Remember supine as lying on the back; its like facing up to the sky, with the u in supine helping to remember up.'
Prone relates to gravity pulling down, with the emphasis on pro as moving forward to the ground.
Supine sounds a little like sup as in whats up', which can remind you of being face up.
Both words describe body positions but are opposites: prone is face down, and supine is face up.