but
/ˈbʌt/preposition, adverb, conjunction, noun
but is spelled B-U-T: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 4,266 times per million words in written English, the 26th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “but vs butt” about 390 times a month (Google, United States). As a preposition, but means “Apart from, except (for), excluding” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in but?
| Letters | 3: B-U-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 4,266 times per million words; the 26th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Sounds like | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is but?
But appears 4,266 times per million words in written English, the 26th 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 but?
- /ˈbʌt/
- [bʌ̈t]
- /ˈbʊt/
But has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-but.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-but.wav, En-us-but.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with but
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sounds like: butt (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with but?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as but.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: tub.
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 but
- buts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- butting participle, present
- butted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does but mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
preposition
- 1
Apart from, except (for), excluding.
Everyone but Father left early.
- 2
Outside of.
Away but the hoose and tell me whae's there.
adverb
- 1
Merely, only, just, no more than.
Christmas comes but once a year, so we can but wait till then.
- 2
AustraliaScotlandThough, however.
I'll have to go home early but.
- 3
Used to repeat an adverb for emphasis; simply; just; absolutely.
I would never, but never do such a thing!
conjunction
- 1
However, although, nevertheless, on the other hand (introducing a clause contrary to prior belief or in contrast with the preceding clause or sentence).
She is very old but still attractive.
- 2
On the contrary, rather (as a regular adversative conjunction, introducing a word or clause in contrast or contradiction with the preceding negative clause or sentence).
I am not rich but [I am] poor. Not John but Peter went there.
- 3
colloquialUsed at the beginning of a sentence to express opposition to a remark.
But I never said you could do that!
- 4
Except that (introducing a subordinate clause which qualifies a negative statement); also, (archaic) with omission of the subject of the subordinate clause, acting as a negative relative, "except one that", "except such that".
I cannot but feel offended.
- 5
colloquialUsed to link an interjection to the following remark as an intensifier.
Wow! But that's amazing!
- 6
archaicWithout it also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).
It never rains but it pours
- 7
obsoleteExcept with; unless with; without.
- 8
obsoleteOnly; solely; merely.
noun
- 1
An instance of using the word "but"; an objection or caveat.
It has to be done–no ifs, ands, or buts.
- 2
ScotlandThe outer room of a small two-room cottage.
- 3
A limit; a boundary.
- 4
The end; especially the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end; the butt.
verb
- 1
archaicrareUse the word "but".
But me no buts.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate but?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of but: bt.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
But in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mais, cependant , sauf, en dehors de, excepté |
| German | aber, aber trotzdem , außer, aber nicht , sondern |
| Portuguese | embora, mas , exceto, salvo , porém |
| Spanish | aunque, pero, mas, empero , excepto , sino |
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 but come from?
From Middle English but, buten, boute, bouten, from Old English būtan (“without, outside of, except, only”), from Proto-West Germanic *biūtan, *biūtini, equivalent to be- + out. Cognate with Scots but, bot (“outside, without, but”), Saterland Frisian buute (“without”), West Frisian bûten (“outside of, apart from, other than, except, but”), Dutch buiten (“outside”), Dutch Low Saxon buten (“outside”), German Low German buuten, buute (“outside”), obsolete German baußen (“outside”), Luxembourgish baussen. Compare bin, about.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).