bridesmaid
/ˈbɹaɪdzˌmeɪd/noun, verb
bridesmaid is spelled B-R-I-D-E-S-M-A-I-D: 10 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bridesmaid means “A woman who attends a bride during her wedding ceremony, as part of the main wedding party” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bridesmaid is bridesmaids.
How many letters and syllables are in bridesmaid?
| Letters | 10: B-R-I-D-E-S-M-A-I-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.2 times per million words; the 26,092nd 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 bridesmaid?
Bridesmaid appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd 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 bridesmaid?
- /ˈbɹaɪdzˌmeɪd/
Bridesmaid 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-bridesmaid.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with bridesmaid
Also written: bride's maid.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of bridesmaid
- bridesmaids plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bride's maid
- bridesmaiding participle, present
- bridesmaided participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bridesmaid mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A woman who attends a bride during her wedding ceremony, as part of the main wedding party.
I'd love to be your bridesmaid at the wedding.
- 2
A person or team that perennially finishes well, but never first.
verb
- 1
To act as a bridesmaid for; to attend a bride during her wedding ceremony.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bridesmaid in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense woman who attends the bride at a wedding ceremony:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | demoiselle d'honneur |
| German | Brautjungfer |
| Portuguese | dama de honra |
| Spanish | dama de honor |
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 bridesmaid come from?
From bride + -s- + maid. In the sports and entertainment sense: in reference to the saying always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).