blackbird
/ˈblækˌbɚd/noun, verb
blackbird is spelled B-L-A-C-K-B-I-R-D: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, blackbird means “A common true thrush, Turdus merula, found in woods and gardens over much of Eurasia, and introduced elsewhere” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of blackbird is blackbirds.
How many letters and syllables are in blackbird?
| Letters | 9: B-L-A-C-K-B-I-R-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,393rd 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 blackbird?
Blackbird appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd 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 blackbird?
- UK /ˈblakbəːd/
- US /ˈblækˌbɚd/
Blackbird 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: En-us-blackbird.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of blackbird
- blackbirds plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- blackbirding participle, present
- blackbirded participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does blackbird mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A common true thrush, Turdus merula, found in woods and gardens over much of Eurasia, and introduced elsewhere.
- 2
A variety of New World birds of the family Icteridae (26 species of icterid bird).
- 3
derogatoryslangA native of the South Pacific islands.
verb
- 1
To enslave someone, especially through chicanery or force
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Blackbird in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | merle, merlesse, tchoc |
| German | Amsel, Schwarzdrossel |
| Portuguese | melro, melro-preto |
| Spanish | mirlo , turpial, soldadito |
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 blackbird come from?
From Middle English blakebird, blacbrid (“ouzel; Eurasian blackbird”), equivalent to black + bird.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).