braces
/ˈbɹeɪsɪz/noun, verb
braces is spelled B-R-A-C-E-S: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.1 times per million words in written English, the 15,146th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, braces means “A device worn on the teeth to straighten them” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in braces?
| Letters | 6: B-R-A-C-E-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.1 times per million words; the 15,146th 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 braces?
Braces appears 3.1 times per million words in written English, the 15,146th 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 braces?
- /ˈbɹeɪsɪz/
Braces 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-braces.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What does braces mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A device worn on the teeth to straighten them.
Susy has to go to the dentist to see if she needs braces.
- 2
datedHandcuffs.
We put that villain in braces.
- 3
UKA pair of straps crossing one's shoulders and extending down to one's trousers, where a clip or button arrangement allows them to affix to the trousers, ensuring that they will not fall off.
- 4
plural of brace
verb
- 1
third-person singular simple present indicative of brace
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Braces in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense device for straightening teeth:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | appareil dentaire, appareil, appareil orthodontique, faux-palais |
| German | Zahnspange |
| Portuguese | aparelho, aparelho de dente |
| Spanish | frenillo, freno, aparato, ortodoncia, brackets, aparato dental |
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.