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Which three bones make up the auditory ossicles?

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Cross-section diagram of the human ear showing the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear, with labeled parts including the auricle, auditory canal, tympanic membrane, ossicles, cochlea, semicircular canals, and nerves. — human ear Structure of the human ear.

The auditory ossicles are three tiny bones located in the middle ear that form a chain to transmit sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear. From the outside inward, they are:12

The malleus (hammer)
The incus (anvil)
The stapes (stirrup)12

These bones are suspended by ligaments, allowing them to vibrate freely. The stapes is notable for being the smallest bone in the human body. Together, these ossicles act as an impedance-matching device, concentrating sound energy to overcome the resistance between air and the fluids of the inner ear.123