biathlon
bi·ath·lon/baɪˈæθˌlɑn/noun
biathlon is spelled B-I-A-T-H-L-O-N: 8 letters and 3 syllables (bi·ath·lon). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, biathlon means “Racing combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of biathlon is biathlons.
How many letters and syllables are in biathlon?
| Letters | 8: B-I-A-T-H-L-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: bi·ath·lon |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,680th 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; 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 biathlon?
Biathlon appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th 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 biathlon?
- UK /baɪˈæθlən/
- UK /-lɒn/
- US /baɪˈæθˌlɑn/
Biathlon has 3 syllables, split bi·ath·lon in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-biathlon.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with biathlon?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as biathlon from its last stressed vowel (/æθlɑn/):
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 biathlon
- biathlons plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does biathlon mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Racing combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
- 2
A particular instance of such a race.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Biathlon in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense racing combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting; a particular instance :
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 biathlon come from?
From bi- (prefix meaning ‘two; both’) + -athlon (suffix meaning ‘contest’), modelled after pentathlon.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).