animal
an·i·mal/ˈænəməl/noun, adjective
animal is spelled A-N-I-M-A-L: 6 letters and 3 syllables (an·i·mal). It appears 65 times per million words in written English, the 1,636th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, animal means “A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia that is usually mobile, with cells that are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing them…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of animal is animals.
How many letters and syllables are in animal?
| Letters | 6: A-N-I-M-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: an·i·mal |
| In writing | 65 times per million words; the 1,636th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; 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 animal?
Animal appears 65 times per million words in written English, the 1,636th 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 animal?
- UK /ˈænɪməl/
- British /ˈanɪməl/
- US /ˈænəməl/
Animal has 3 syllables, split an·i·mal in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-animal.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with animal?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as animal (/ænəməl/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: manila, lamina, almain.
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 animal
- animals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does animal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia that is usually mobile, with cells that are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing them from plants and fungi) and derives energy solely from the consumption of other organisms.
Near-synonym: critter
- 2
Any member of the kingdom Animalia other than a human.
- 3
A higher animal; an animal related to humans.
When he's hungry my toddler opens his mouth like an animal instead of asking us to feed him.
- 4
colloquialA tetrapod; a land-dwelling nonhuman vertebrate.
- 5
A warm-blooded animal; a mammal or bird.
- 6
A non-human mammal.
I spent my summer studying the animals and birds of the two islands.
- 7
derogatoryA person who behaves wildly; a bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, or inhuman person.
My students are animals.
- 8
derogatoryA person who overeats or eats rapidly and noisily.
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to animals.
animal instincts
- 2
Raw, base, unhindered by social codes.
animal passions
- 3
Pertaining to the spirit or soul; relating to sensation or innervation.
- 4
IrelandslangExcellent.
noun
- 1
slangA fan of Kesha, an American singer.
For quotations using this term, see Citations:Animal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Animal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | animal, bête |
| German | Tier , Bestie, Unmensch, Monster, Scheusal , tierisch |
| Portuguese | animal, bicho |
| Spanish | animal, bestia |
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 animal come from?
From Middle English animal, from Old French animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of the adjective form animāle, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).