Quick answer
Humerus is a bone: the long one between your shoulder and elbow. Humorous is an adjective meaning funny. If you are describing a joke, you want humorous; if you are describing an X-ray, you want humerus.
The core difference
Humerus is the upper arm bone, while humorous describes something funny.
- humerus — the long bone from the shoulder to the elbow: She fractured her humerus in a fall from the ladder.
- humorous — funny or amusing: He gave a humorous speech at his brother's wedding.
How to tell them apart
The two words sound alike, which is exactly why the old joke about the funny bone works: the humerus is the bone at your elbow, and hitting it feels anything but humorous. The pun only lands if you know which is which.
To keep them straight, remember that humorous comes from humor (or humour in British spelling), so it has the -ous ending of an adjective. Humerus ends in -us, like many Latin-derived anatomy words, and is a noun.
Frequently asked questions
Is the funny bone the humerus?
The funny bone is a nerve at the elbow rather than a bone itself, but it sits near the end of the humerus, which is the source of the pun.
What part of the body is the humerus?
It is the long bone of the upper arm, running from the shoulder to the elbow.
Is humorous spelled the same in British and American English?
Yes. Humorous is the same in both, although the related noun is humour in British English and humor in American English.
