Master confusing words with ease
Vertebra vs. Vertebrae
Vertebra
/ˈvɜːtəbrə/Examples:
She fractured a vertebra while skiing down the slope.The ancient fossil had a perfectly preserved vertebra.Yoga can relieve tension around the cervical vertebra.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Vertebrae
Examples:
The X-ray showed a fracture in the first lumbar vertebra.Marine vertebrae are often used to study evolution.Yoga can help keep your vertebrae flexible and healthy.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Vertebra ends with an a and refers to one single bone within the spine. Remember, the a is singular.
- Vertebrae ends with an e and refers to multiple bones or the collection of all such bones in the spine. Think of the e in vertebrae as an echo — when you have lots of echoes, you have many sounds, just like how vertebrae is plural.
- Both words start with vertebr-, so focus on the suffix to determine singular or plural.
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