authentic
/ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/adjective
authentic is spelled A-U-T-H-E-N-T-I-C: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,674th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, authentic means “Of the same origin as claimed; genuine” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in authentic?
| Letters | 9: A-U-T-H-E-N-T-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,674th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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 authentic?
Authentic appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,674th 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 authentic?
- UK /ɒˈθɛn.tɪk/
- US /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/
- /ɑˈθɛn.tɪk/
Authentic 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-authentic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with authentic?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as authentic from its last stressed vowel (/ɛntɪk/):
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 authentic
- more authentic comparative
- most authentic superlative
- authentical
- authentick
- authenticke
- authentique
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does authentic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of the same origin as claimed; genuine.
The experts confirmed it was an authentic signature.
- 2
Conforming to reality and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief.
an authentic writer; an authentic portrait; authentic information
- 3
Designating a mode having the final as the lowest note.
- 4
Designating a cadence in which the dominant chord precedes the tonic.
- 5
obsoleteAuthoritative.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate authentic?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of authentic: auth..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Authentic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | authentique , digne de foi, véridique |
| German | authentisch, echt , wahr |
| Portuguese | autêntico |
| Spanish | auténtico , fidedigno, veraz |
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 authentic come from?
From Middle English authentik, from Old French autentique, from Latin authenticus, from Ancient Greek αὐθεντικός (authentikós, “authentic, genuine”), from Ancient Greek αὐθέντης (authéntēs, “perpetrator, murderer, absolute ruler”). Doublet of effendi.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).