bicycle
bi·cy·cle/ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/noun, verb
bicycle is spelled B-I-C-Y-C-L-E, 3 syllables: bi·cy·cle. The wrong spelling people search most is bycicle: about 320 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 51 of all searches for the word. Bicycle is a noun meaning “A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats…”. The plural of bicycle is bicycles.
How many letters and syllables are in bicycle?
| Letters | 7: B-I-C-Y-C-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: bi·cy·cle |
| In writing | 9.5 times per million words; the 7,338th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 1; the most searched, bycicle, about 320 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell bicycle?
Bicycle is spelled B-I-C-Y-C-L-E. One wrong spelling is searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 50 of the searches for bicycle in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is bicycle?
Bicycle appears 9.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,338th 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 bicycle?
- /ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/
- /ˈbʌɪsɪkəl/
- /baj.sajkɪl/
Bicycle has 3 syllables, split bi·cy·cle in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bicycle.ogg, En-uk-a_bicycle.ogg, EN-AU_ck1_bicycle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with bicycle
Also written: bi-cycle (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of bicycle
- bicycles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bicycling participle, present
- bicycled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bicycle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.
- 2
proscribedAny similar vehicle powered by human pedaling or steered with a handlebar, regardless of the number of wheels.
- 3
A traveling block used on a cable in skidding logs.
- 4
The best possible hand in lowball.
- 5
AustraliaUKA motorbike.
- 6
slangvulgarA slut; a promiscuous woman.
- 7
A stabilizing technique in which one foot is pushed down while the other is pulled up.
- 8
slangThe wheel: either the lowest straight (A-2-3-4-5) or the best low hand in Lowball or High-low poker.
verb
- 1
To travel or exercise using a bicycle.
- 2
To physically ship (a recorded programme) to another broadcasting entity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate bicycle?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of bicycle: bike.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bicycle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vélo, bicyclette, vélocipède , faire du vélo, faire de la bicyclette, rouler à vélo |
| German | Fahrrad, Velo, Drahtesel, Veloziped , Rad fahren, radeln |
| Portuguese | bicicleta, baique |
| Spanish | bicicleta, bici |
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 bicycle come from?
Borrowed from French bicycle (modern bicyclette), from bi- (“two”) + cycle (“cycle”). By surface analysis, bi- + cycle. First attested in English in 1868, and in French in 1847.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).