Pronounce 23
THUMB
Natural Pronunciation
Say it: thum
One syllable.
Start with the th in think.
The rest sounds like hum without the h.
Rhymes with some.
Do not say the b.
Practical Use
He injured his thumb while playing basketball.
She scrolled through the photographs with her thumb.
The baby sucked his thumb while falling asleep.
I held the small button between my thumb and index finger.
He gave me a thumbs-up to show that he agreed.
Read in Context
Learning a New Skill
When Amelia received her first smartphone, she was surprised by how quickly her younger brother could type messages. He moved his thumbs across the screen without looking at the keyboard. Amelia, however, kept making mistakes and had to correct her messages repeatedly. Instead of becoming frustrated, she practiced for a few minutes each day. She learned to hold the phone comfortably and use both thumbs when typing longer messages. After several weeks, her speed improved considerably. She also discovered that voice typing was useful when her hands were busy. Amelia realized that new technology sometimes feels difficult at first, but small amounts of regular practice can make unfamiliar tasks much easier.
Understanding the Word
A thumb is the short, thick digit on the side of the hand. It also appears in common expressions.
A body part: He wrapped a bandage around his thumb.
Approval: She gave the suggestion a thumbs-up.
An approximate measurement: The plant has grown about a thumb's width. More commonly, people say about an inch or about a thumb's width depending on context.
