blockade
/blɑˈkeɪd/noun, verb
blockade is spelled B-L-O-C-K-A-D-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.7 times per million words in written English, the 13,496th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, blockade means “The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of blockade is blockades.
How many letters and syllables are in blockade?
| Letters | 8: B-L-O-C-K-A-D-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.7 times per million words; the 13,496th 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 blockade?
Blockade appears 3.7 times per million words in written English, the 13,496th 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 blockade?
- US /blɑˈkeɪd/
- UK /blɒˈkeɪd/
Blockade 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-blockade.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with blockade?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as blockade from its last stressed vowel (/eɪd/):
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 blockade
- blockades plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- blockading participle, present
- blockaded participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does blockade mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out.
- 2
Any form of formal isolation or inhibition of something, especially with the force of law or arms.
- 3
The ships or other forces used to effect a naval blockade.
- 4
Inhibition of the activity (function) of chemical messengers or their receptors, such as (often) receptor antagonism.
beta-blockade
- 5
The act of preventing an opponent's pawn moving by placing a piece in front of it.
- 6
Synonym of prime.
verb
- 1
To create a blockade against.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Blockade in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | bloqueo |
| French | blocus , bloquer, obstruer |
| German | Blockade , blockieren, sperren |
| Portuguese | bloqueio , bloquear |
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 blockade come from?
From block + -ade, probably after Dutch blocquade (now blokkade) or German Blockade.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).