acumen
/ˈækjəmən/noun
acumen is spelled A-C-U-M-E-N: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, acumen means “Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination; acuity of mind” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of acumen is acumens or acumina.
How many letters and syllables are in acumen?
| Letters | 6: A-C-U-M-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,393rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is acumen?
Acumen appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce acumen?
- UK /ˈækjʊmən/
- UK /əˈkjuːmən/
- US /ˈækjəmən/
Acumen has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-acumen.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of acumen
- acumens plural
- acumina plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does acumen mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination; acuity of mind.
- 2
A sharp, tapering point extending from a plant.
- 3
A bony, often sharp, protuberance, especially that of the ischium.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Acumen in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense quickness of perception:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sagacité |
| German | Scharfsinn |
| Portuguese | perspicácia, sagacidade, agudeza |
| Spanish | perspicacia, acumen, cacumen, pesquis |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does acumen come from?
Borrowed from Latin acūmen (“sharp point”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).