Dinosaurs are amazing. They were some of the biggest and most powerful animals to ever walk the earth, and over 700 different species have been discovered to this day.
They stood on the same ground that we do now over 65 million years ago, but of course, the world they lived in was very, very different!
The problem is, because of the way that dinosaur names are created, they can be very, very tough to pronounce right. Palaeontologists (fossil hunters who discover dinosaurs) often squeeze ancient words from Greek and Latin together to come up with these long, unusual names. The Tyrannosaurus-rex, for example, is translated to “king of the tyrant lizards”.
So that you pronounce those tricky dinosaur names perfectly, we’ve created this handy guide, explaining exactly how to talk about these ferocious animals.
Pterosaur
How to say it: Ter – o – sore
Tip: Ignore the silent “P” in this flying dinosaur’s name
Fun Fact: Strictly speaking, Pterosaurs weren’t dinosaurs, they were actually a type of flying reptile
Triceratops
How to say it: Tri – ser – a – tops
Fun Fact: The official name for Triceratops, “Triceratops Horridus” means three horned face. We can see why!
Tyrannosaurus rex
How to say it: Tie – ran – o – sore – us – rex
Fun Fact: Scientists believe that the T. rex could have eaten up to 500 pounds of meat in one bite. That’s 2000 medium sized burgers!
Velociraptor
How to say it: Vel – o – si – rap – tor
Fun Fact: Like ostriches and penguins alive today, velociraptors had feathers, but couldn’t fly.
Brachiosaurus
How to say it: Brak – ee – u – sore – us
Fun Fact: Brachiosaurus was one of the biggest land animals ever. It weighed around 80 tonnes!
Micropachycephalosaurus
How to say it: mi – cro – packee – se – fa – low – sore – us
Fun Fact: Meaning “tiny thick-headed lizard”, this is the longest dinosaur name
Now you know exactly how to say these dinosaur names, why not come and discover some huge, life-like dinosaurs for yourself at the Lost Kingdom dinosaur land at Paultons Family Theme Park? Get close to these amazing creatures in our dinosaur ALIVE encounters, or take a trip into the wild on our 4X4 jeep expedition!
If you’re feeling really brave, be sure to ride some of our incredible new rollercoasters. There’s Velociraptor, an exciting boomerang roller coaster, as well as the fun Temple Heights and our first ever suspended family coaster, the amazing Flight of the Pterosaur ride!
If you just can’t wait to visit for yourself, try our new Lost Kingdom Game on your mobile.
