billet
/ˈbɪlɪt/noun, verb
billet is spelled B-I-L-L-E-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,336th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, billet means “A short informal letter” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of billet is billets.
How many letters and syllables are in billet?
| Letters | 6: B-I-L-L-E-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,336th 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 billet?
Billet appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,336th 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 billet?
- US /ˈbɪlɪt/
Billet 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-billet.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of billet
- billets plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- billeting participle, present
- billetting participle, present, rare
- billeted participle, past
- billetted participle, past, rare
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does billet mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A short informal letter.
- 2
A written order to quarter soldiers.
- 3
A sealed ticket for a draw or lottery.
- 4
A place where a soldier is assigned to lodge.
- 5
Temporary lodgings in a private residence, such as is organised for members of a visiting sports team.
- 6
An allocated space or berth in a boat or ship.
- 7
Berth; position.
- 8
A semi-finished length of metal.
- 9
A short piece of wood, especially one used as firewood.
- 10
A short cutting of sugar cane produced by a harvester or used for planting.
- 11
A rectangle used as a charge on an escutcheon.
- 12
An ornament in Norman work, resembling a billet of wood, either square or round.
- 13
A strap that enters a buckle.
- 14
A loop that receives the end of a buckled strap.
- 15
Alternative form of billard (“coalfish”).
verb
- 1
To lodge soldiers, or guests, usually by order.
- 2
To lodge, or be quartered, in a private house.
- 3
To direct, by a ticket or note, where to lodge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Billet in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to lodge soldiers, or guests, in a private house:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | einquartieren |
| Portuguese | aquartelar |
| Spanish | acuartelar |
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 billet come from?
From Middle English bylet, from Anglo-Norman billette (“list, schedule”), from bille + -ette, from Latin bulla (“document”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).