SOHCAHTOA

Units & Measurements abbreviation · Math

SOHCAHTOA stands for Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse, Cosine = Adjacent/Hypotenuse, Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent, a math abbreviation.

Mnemonic for the three basic trigonometric ratios in a right triangle: sine is opposite over hypotenuse, cosine is adjacent over hypotenuse and tangent is opposite over adjacent.

Example: Using SOHCAHTOA, the side opposite a 30° angle with hypotenuse 10 is 10 × sin 30° = 5.

Usage notes

Usually pronounced "so-ka-TOE-a", it is sometimes turned into sentences such as "Some Old Horses Can Always Hear Their Owners Approach". The ratios apply only to right triangles; other triangles need the laws of sines and cosines. The reciprocal functions csc, sec and cot flip each ratio.

Related abbreviations

More math abbreviations

• SA – Surface area
• SAS – Side-Angle-Side (congruence)
• sec – Secant
• sgn – Sign function
• sin – Sine
• sinh – Hyperbolic sine
• sqrt – Square root
• SSS – Side-Side-Side (congruence)
• sup – Supremum
• SVD – Singular value decomposition
• tan – Tangent
• tanh – Hyperbolic tangent

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