constrain
con·strain/kənˈstɹeɪn/verb
constrain is spelled C-O-N-S-T-R-A-I-N: 9 letters and 2 syllables (con·strain). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, constrain means “To force physically, by strong persuasion or pressuring; to compel; to oblige” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in constrain?
| Letters | 9: C-O-N-S-T-R-A-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: con·strain |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,176th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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 constrain?
Constrain appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th 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 constrain?
- /kənˈstɹeɪn/
Constrain has 2 syllables, split con·strain in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-constrain.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with constrain?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as constrain.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: transonic.
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 constrain
- constrains present, singular, he/she/it
- constraining participle, present
- constrained participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does constrain mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To force physically, by strong persuasion or pressuring; to compel; to oblige.
- 2
To keep within close bounds; to confine.
- 3
To reduce a result in response to limited resources.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Constrain in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | astreindre, contraindre, confiner |
| German | behindern, einschränken, limitieren |
| Portuguese | constranger, apertar, restringir , confinar |
| Spanish | constreñir |
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.