apache
/əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/noun
apache is spelled A-P-A-C-H-E: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, apache means “Alternative letter-case form of Apache, a Parisian gangster” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of apache is apaches.
How many letters and syllables are in apache?
| Letters | 6: A-P-A-C-H-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 14,106th 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 apache?
Apache appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th 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 apache?
- /əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/
Apache 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-Apache.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of apache
- apaches plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does apache mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Alternative letter-case form of Apache, a Parisian gangster.
noun
- 1
Any of several Athabascan-speaking peoples of the American southwest excluding Navajo, i.e., Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Plains Apache, or Western Apache.
- 2
A person belonging to an Apache people.
- 3
A Parisian gangster of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- 4
AH-64 Apache, a U.S. military helicopter.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Apache in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | Apaches , Apache , apache |
| German | Apachen, Apatschen , Apache, Apachin, Apatsche, Apatschin |
| Portuguese | apaches , apache |
| Spanish | apache |
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 apache come from?
From American Spanish apache, most likely from Zuni ʔa·paču (“Navajos”), or possibly from the Yavapai word ʔpačə, meaning "people". The web server software was named to honor the Apache people, although much has been made of the fact that its design was "patchy" (constructed by assembling software patches). See Apache HTTP Server § Name. The Parisian gangsters were named after the American tribe because of their aggressive reputation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).