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cement

ce·ment/səˈmɛnt/noun, verb

cement is spelled C-E-M-E-N-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables (ce·ment). It appears 8.7 times per million words in written English, the 7,797th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cement means “A powdered substance produced by firing (calcining) calcium carbonate (limestone) and clay that develops strong cohesive properties when mixed with…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cement is cements.

How many letters and syllables are in cement?

Letters6: C-E-M-E-N-T
Syllables2: ce·ment
In writing8.7 times per million words; the 7,797th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

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).

How common is cement?

Cement appears 8.7 times per million words in written English, the 7,797th 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 cement?

  • /səˈmɛnt/
  • /ˈsi.mɛnt/

Cement has 2 syllables, split ce·ment in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-cement.ogg, En-au-cement.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-cement.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of cement

  • cements plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • cementing participle, present
  • cemented participle, past

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

What does cement mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A powdered substance produced by firing (calcining) calcium carbonate (limestone) and clay that develops strong cohesive properties when mixed with water. The main ingredient of concrete.

  2. 2

    The paste-like substance resulting from mixing such a powder with water, or the rock-like substance that forms when it dries.

  3. 3

    Any material with strong adhesive and cohesive properties such as binding agents, glues, grout.

  4. 4

    A bond of union; that which unites firmly, as persons in friendship or in society.

    the cement of our love

  5. 5

    The layer of bone investing the root and neck of a tooth; cementum.

verb

  1. 1

    To affix with cement.

  2. 2

    To overlay or coat with cement.

    to cement a cellar floor

  3. 3

    To unite firmly or closely.

  4. 4

    To repair.

  5. 5

    To make permanent.

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

Cement in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchciment (a powdered substance), colle, adhésif (any material with strong adhesive and cohesive…)
GermanZement (a powdered substance), Zementleim, Zementmörtel, Zementmasse, Mörtel (the paste-like substance), zementieren (to affix with cement)
Portuguesecimento (a powdered substance), cimentar (to affix with cement), consolidar, firmar (to make permanent)
Spanishcemento (a powdered substance), cementar, encementar (to affix with cement), cimentar (to make permanent)

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 cement come from?

From Middle English syment, cyment, from Old French ciment, from Latin caementum (“quarry stone; stone chips for making mortar”), from caedō (“to cut, hew”). Doublet of cementum.

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

What to look up after cement