constable
/ˈkɑn.stə.bəl/noun, verb
constable is spelled C-O-N-S-T-A-B-L-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, constable means “One holding the lowest rank in most Commonwealth police forces. (See also chief constable.)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of constable is constables.
How many letters and syllables are in constable?
| Letters | 9: C-O-N-S-T-A-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.2 times per million words; the 9,735th 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 constable?
Constable appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th 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 constable?
- UK /ˈkʌn.stə.bəl/
- UK /ˈkɒn.stə.bəl/
- US /ˈkɑn.stə.bəl/
Constable has 3 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)-Vealhurl-constable.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of constable
- constables plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- constabling participle, present
- constabled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does constable mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
One holding the lowest rank in most Commonwealth police forces. (See also chief constable.)
- 2
UKA police officer or an officer with equivalent powers.
- 3
An officer of a noble court in the Middle Ages, usually a senior army commander. (See also marshal).
- 4
The warden of a castle.
- 5
USAn elected or appointed public officer, usually at municipal level, responsible for maintaining order or serving writs and court orders.
- 6
An elected head of a parish (also known as a connétable)
- 7
A large butterfly, Dichorragia nesimachus, family Nymphalidae, of Asia.
verb
- 1
datedTo act as a constable or policeman.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate constable?
Wiktionary records 4 abbreviations of constable: CST, cons., const., cst..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Constable in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | constable , connétable |
| Portuguese | agente , condestável |
| Spanish | condestable |
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 constable come from?
From Middle English constable, cunstable, constabil, connestable, cunestable, from Old French conestable, from Latin comes stabulī (“officer of the stables”). For the sense-development; compare marshal. Doublet of connétable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).