How to pronounce mastodon
Say it like MAS-tuh-dahn. Mastodon has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAS).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce mastodon. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- MAS
- tuh
- dahn
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Mastodon pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- MASSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- tuhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- dahnKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of mastodon
- The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English.
British respelling: MAS-tuh-don.
What does mastodon mean?
- Extinct elephant-like mammal of the genus †Mammut that flourished worldwide from Miocene through Pleistocene times; differs from elephants and mammoths in the form of the molar teeth.
- Anything awkwardly large or unwieldy.
Where does mastodon come from?
First attested 1813, from translingual Mastodon (1806), coined by French naturalist Georges Cuvier, from masto- (“breast”) + -odon (“tooth”), due to the mammilloid (“nipple-shaped”) projections on the crowns of the extinct mammal's molars.
Questions about saying mastodon
How do you pronounce mastodon?
Say MAS-tuh-dahn. The American pronunciation is /ˈmæstədɑn/. In British English it is /ˈmæstədɒn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in mastodon?
Mastodon has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (MAS). Broken into parts: MAS · tuh · dahn.
Is mastodon pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The short o is rounded in British English (as in "hot"), but open and unrounded in American English. The British form is /ˈmæstədɒn/ (MAS-tuh-don).