comminution
com·mi·nu·tion/ˌkɑməˈn(j)uʃən/noun
comminution is spelled C-O-M-M-I-N-U-T-I-O-N: 11 letters and 4 syllables (com·mi·nu·tion). It appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 118,441st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, comminution means “The breaking or grinding up of a material to form smaller particles” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of comminution is comminutions.
How many letters and syllables are in comminution?
| Letters | 11: C-O-M-M-I-N-U-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: com·mi·nu·tion |
| In writing | about once in every 15 million words; the 118,441st 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 comminution?
Comminution appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 118,441st 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 comminution?
- UK /ˌkɒmɪˈnjuːʃ(ə)n/
- US /ˌkɑməˈn(j)uʃən/
Comminution has 4 syllables, split com·mi·nu·tion in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-comminution.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with comminution?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as comminution from its last stressed vowel (/uʃən/):
- distribution
- institution
- contribution
- pollution
- prosecution
- persecution
- dissolution
- substitution
- restitution
- dilution
- Confucian
- destitution
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 comminution
- comminutions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does comminution mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The breaking or grinding up of a material to form smaller particles.
Near-synonyms: maceration, crushing, pulverization, crumbling
- 2
The fracture of a bone site into multiple pieces (at least three, and often many).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Comminution in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense breaking or grinding up of a material:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | comminution |
| German | Zerkleinern |
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 comminution come from?
From Latin comminūtiō (“breaking into pieces, crumbling, shattering; crushing, pulverizing”), from Latin comminuō (“to break or crumble into small pieces; to crush, pulverize”) (from com- (prefix indicating completeness) + minuō (“to make smaller; to diminish, lessen”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“little, small”)) + Latin -tiō (suffix forming a noun relating to some action or the result of an action); equivalent to comminute + -ion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).