alias
/ˈeɪ.li.əs/adverb, noun, verb
alias is spelled A-L-I-A-S: 5 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, alias means “Otherwise; at another time; in other circumstances; otherwise called; also known as; formerly known as” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in alias?
| Letters | 5: A-L-I-A-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.9 times per million words; the 15,798th 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 alias?
Alias appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th 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 alias?
- US /ˈeɪ.li.əs/
Alias 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-alias.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of alias
- aliases plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- aliasing participle, present
- aliased participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does alias mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
Otherwise; at another time; in other circumstances; otherwise called; also known as; formerly known as.
- 2
Used to connect the different names of a person who has gone by two or more, and whose true name is for any cause doubtful
Smith, alias Simpson.
noun
- 1
Another name; especially, an assumed name.
- 2
A second or further writ which is issued after a first writ has expired without effect.
- 3
An abbreviation that replaces a string of commands and thereby reduces typing when performing routine actions or tasks.
- 4
An alternate name assigned to something, e.g. a database column to avoid ambiguity in a query.
- 5
A spurious signal generated as a technological artifact.
verb
- 1
To assign an additional name to an entity, often a more user-friendly one.
- 2
To make or become indistinguishable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate alias?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of alias: al's.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Alias in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | alias , pseudonyme |
| Spanish | alias , seudónimo, sobrenombre, apodo |
| German | Pseudonym, Deckname |
| Portuguese | pseudónimo, pseudônimo, cognome |
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 alias come from?
From Latin alias (“at another time; at another place, elsewhere, under other circumstances, otherwise”). See else and alien.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).