bird
/ˈbɜːd/noun, verb, adjective
bird is spelled B-I-R-D: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 43 times per million words in written English, the 2,339th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bird means “An animal of the clade (traditionally class) Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bird is birds.
How many letters and syllables are in bird?
| Letters | 4: B-I-R-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 43 times per million words; the 2,339th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is bird?
Bird appears 43 times per million words in written English, the 2,339th 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 bird?
- Australia /ˈbɜːd/
- Australia [ˈbɜ̝ːd]
- Australia /ˈbɘːd/
Bird has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bird.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with bird
Also written: birdy.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of bird
- birds plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- birding participle, present
- birded participle, past
- birdier comparative, rare
- birdiest rare, superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bird mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An animal of the clade (traditionally class) Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of flight, having a beaked mouth, and laying eggs.
Ducks and sparrows are birds.
- 2
obsoleteAny winged animal.
- 3
obsoleteA young bird, a nestling.
- 4
slangA man, fellow.
- 5
IrelandUKcolloquialA girl or woman, especially one considered sexually attractive.
- 6
IrelandUKcolloquialA girlfriend.
Mike went out with his bird last night.
- 7
slangAn aircraft.
- 8
slangA satellite.
- 9
slangA prison sentence.
He’s doing bird.
verb
- 1
To observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment.
- 2
To catch or shoot birds; to hunt birds.
- 3
To seek for game or plunder; to thieve.
- 4
To transmit via satellite.
- 5
slangTo bring into prison, to roof.
adjective
- 1
CanadacolloquialAble to be passed with very little work; having the nature of a bird course.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bird in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | oiseau, oiselle, oiselet, oisillon , nana , taule |
| German | Vogel, Vögelchen, Vögelein, Vöglein |
| Portuguese | pássaro, ave , rapariga, moça, gata , namorada |
| Spanish | pájaro, ave , muchacha, chica , novia |
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 bird come from?
From Middle English bird, brid, from Old English bridd (“chick, fledgling, chicken”), of uncertain origin (see Old English bridd for more). Originally from a term used of birds that could not fly (chicks, fledglings, chickens) as opposed to the general Old English term for flying birds, fugol (modern fowl). Gradually replaced fowl as the most common term starting in the 14th century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).