butler
but·ler/ˈbʌt.lɚ/noun, verb
butler is spelled B-U-T-L-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (but·ler). It appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,230th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, butler means “A manservant having charge of wines and liquors” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of butler is butlers.
How many letters and syllables are in butler?
| Letters | 6: B-U-T-L-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: but·ler |
| In writing | 12 times per million words; the 6,230th 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; 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 butler?
Butler appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,230th 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 butler?
- UK /ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/
- US /ˈbʌt.lɚ/
Butler has 2 syllables, split but·ler in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-butler.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with butler?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as butler from its last stressed vowel (/ʌtləɹ/):
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 butler
- butlers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- butlering participle, present
- butlered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does butler mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
- 2
The chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services.
- 3
A valet, a male personal attendant.
verb
- 1
To buttle, to dispense wines or liquors; to take the place of a butler.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Butler in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sommelier , majordome |
| Portuguese | mordomo |
| Spanish | sumiller, sommelier (somelié) , mayordomo, guardés |
| German | Butler |
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 butler come from?
From Middle English butler, butlere, boteler, botelere, from Old French buttiler, butiller, boteillier (“officer in charge of wine”), from Medieval Latin botellārius, equivalent to bottle + -er. Piecewise doublet of bottler.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).