alas
/əˈlæs/interjection, noun
alas is spelled A-L-A-S: 4 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an interjection, alas means “Used to express sorrow, regret, compassion, grief, resignation, or disappointment” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in alas?
| Letters | 4: A-L-A-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.7 times per million words; the 11,685th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is alas?
Alas appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th 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 alas?
- UK /əˈlæs/
- UK /əˈlɑːs/
- US /əˈlæs/
As a noun (“A type of geological depression formed by the subsidence of…”): /əˈlɑːs/, /əˈlæs/.
Alas has 2 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: En-us-alas.ogg, En-au-alas.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with alas?
10 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as alas from its last stressed vowel (/æs/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: sala.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of alas
- helas
- alases plural
- alasses plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does alas mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
Used to express sorrow, regret, compassion, grief, resignation, or disappointment.
I wanted to catch the last bus home, but alas, I was ten minutes late and had to take a taxi instead.
noun
- 1
A type of geological depression formed by the subsidence of permafrost, sometimes (partially) filled by a lake.
Alternative forms: alass, alaas
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Alas in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense exclamation of sorrow, etc:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | hélas |
| German | leider, ach, bedauerlicherweise, weh |
| Portuguese | ai de mim, heu, guai |
| Spanish | ay, (pues) en fin, (pues) ni modo, pero bueno, ya ni modo, caballero nomás |
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 alas come from?
From Middle English alas, from Old French a las (French hélas), from a (“ah”) + las, from Latin lassus (“weary”). Compare Dutch helaas, North Frisian ielas, West Frisian eilaas.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).