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PlainSpell

brain

/ˈbɹeɪ̯n/noun, verb

brain is spelled B-R-A-I-N: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, brain means “The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of brain is brains.

How many letters and syllables are in brain?

Letters5: B-R-A-I-N
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing87 times per million words; the 1,223rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

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 brain?

Brain appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd 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 brain?

  • US /ˈbɹeɪ̯n/
  • Australia /ˈbɹæ̝ɪ̯n/
  • /ˈbɾen/

Brain has one syllable (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)-Back_ache-brain.wav, En-us-brain.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with brain?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as brain from its last stressed vowel (/eɪn/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: brian, bairn, barin, abrin.

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 brain

  • brains plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • brayne
  • braining participle, present
  • brained participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does brain mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.

  2. 2

    A part of the brain, especially associated with particular mental functions, abilities, etc.

  3. 3

    obsoleteskull; head

  4. 4

    informalMind.

    I have too much on my brain today.

  5. 5

    Intellect.

    "We provided a lot of brains and a lot of heart to the response when it was needed," says Sandra Sanchez, director of AFSC's Immigrants' Voice Program in Des Moines.

  6. 6

    informalAn intelligent person.

    She was a total brain.

  7. 7

    informalA person who provides the intelligence required for something.

    He is the brains behind the scheme.

  8. 8

    informalAn intellectual or mental capacity.

    Gerald always acts like he doesn't have a brain.

verb

  1. 1

    To dash out the brains of; to kill by smashing the skull.

  2. 2

    To strike (someone) on the head.

  3. 3

    To destroy; to put an end to.

  4. 4

    obsoleteTo conceive in the mind; to understand.

  5. 5

    nonstandardTo think effectively.

    My brain isn't braining right now.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Brain in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcerveau, cervelle, encéphale (organ), tête (intelligent person)
GermanGehirn, Hirn (organ), Superhirn, Intelligenzbestie (intelligent person), Kopf (person providing intelligence), Verstand (brains: intellect)
Portuguesecérebro (organ), crânio, cabeça (intelligent person), intelecto (brains: intellect)
Spanishcerebro, cerebral (organ), seso, sesudez (brains: intellect)

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 brain come from?

Inherited from Middle English brayn, from Old English bræġn, from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic *bragną, from Proto-Indo-European *mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s, from *mregʰ- + *-n̥.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after brain