ðə nˈeɪm fˈʌni bˈoʊn kʊd biː fɹʌm ɐ plˈeɪ ɔnðə wˈɜːdz hjˈuːmɚɹəs ænd hjˈuːmɚɹəs, ðə bˈoʊn ˌɔn wˌɪtʃ ðə mˈiːdiːəl ˈɛpɪkˌɑːndaɪl ɪz loʊkˈeɪɾᵻd, ɔːlðˈoʊ ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ðɪ ˈɑːksfɚd ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ dˈɪkʃənˌɛɹi, ɪt mˈeɪ ɹᵻfˈɜː tuː "ðə pɪkjˈuːlɪɹ sɛnsˈeɪʃən ɛkspˈiəɹɪənst wɛn ɪɾ ɪz stɹˈʌk".
The name funny bone could be from a play on the words humorous and humerus, the bone on which the medial epicondyle is located, although according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it may refer to "the peculiar sensation experienced when it is struck".