catchword
/ˈkæt͡ʃwɚd/noun
catchword is spelled C-A-T-C-H-W-O-R-D: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 44 million words in written English, the 204,233rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, catchword means “A word at the end of a book page that repeats the first word from the following page. (Such words served as aids to the bookbinder (to check rapidly…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of catchword is catchwords.
How many letters and syllables are in catchword?
| Letters | 9: C-A-T-C-H-W-O-R-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 44 million words; the 204,233rd 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 catchword?
Catchword appears about once in every 44 million words in written English, the 204,233rd 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 catchword?
- UK /ˈkat͡ʃwɜːd/
- US /ˈkæt͡ʃwɚd/
Catchword 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)-Sapaa-catchword.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of catchword
- catchwords plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does catchword mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A word at the end of a book page that repeats the first word from the following page. (Such words served as aids to the bookbinder (to check rapidly for correct placement of leaves) and were also viewed by some readers as aids to smooth reading.)
Near-synonym: custos
- 2
A word or expression repeated until it becomes representative of a particular group or time; a slogan or buzzword.
- 3
The last word of a speech, serving as a cue for the next speaker.
- 4
A word printed (often in large or bold type) at the head of a page or other section of text, serving to draw a reader's attention or summarise contents, especially in a reference work; a heading.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Catchword in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense word that repeats the first word on the following page:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Kustos, Kustode |
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 catchword come from?
From catch + word.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).