backlight
/ˈbæk.laɪt/noun, verb
backlight is spelled B-A-C-K-L-I-G-H-T: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,192nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, backlight means “Light shining from a source behind the object of interest or attention” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of backlight is backlights.
How many letters and syllables are in backlight?
| Letters | 9: B-A-C-K-L-I-G-H-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 54,192nd 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 backlight?
Backlight appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,192nd 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 backlight?
- /ˈbæk.laɪt/
Backlight 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-backlight.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of backlight
- backlights plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- backlighting participle, present
- backlighted participle, past
- backlit participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does backlight mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Light shining from a source behind the object of interest or attention.
The backlight from the sunset cast the pier and the crowd in silhouette.
- 2
A spotlight that illuminates a photographic subject from behind.
- 3
Light that is behind a photographic subject.
- 4
A light attached to an LCD display.
- 5
The rear window of a motor car.
verb
- 1
To illuminate something from behind.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Backlight in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | contrejour , rétroéclairage , lunette arrière , éclairer par derrière, rétro-éclairer |
| Spanish | contraluz , retroiluminación , retroiluminar |
| Portuguese | retroiluminação |
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 backlight come from?
From back + light.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).