corporal
/ˈkoɹ.pɚ.əl/adjective, noun
corporal is spelled C-O-R-P-O-R-A-L: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 4.5 times per million words in written English, the 12,045th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, corporal means “Of or pertaining to the body, especially the human body; bodily” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in corporal?
| Letters | 8: C-O-R-P-O-R-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.5 times per million words; the 12,045th 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 corporal?
Corporal appears 4.5 times per million words in written English, the 12,045th 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 corporal?
- UK /ˈkɔːp(ə)ɹəl/
- US /ˈkoɹ.pɚ.əl/
- US /ˈkoɹ.pɹəl/
Corporal 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: En-ca-corporal.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of corporal
- corporals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does corporal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
archaicHaving a physical, tangible body; material, corporeal.
- 2
Of or pertaining to the body, especially the human body; bodily.
corporal punishment
- 3
Pertaining to the body (the thorax and abdomen), as distinguished from the head, limbs and wings, etc.
noun
- 1
A non-commissioned officer army rank with NATO code OR-4. The rank below a sergeant but above a lance corporal and private.
- 2
A non-commissioned officer rank in the police force, below a sergeant but above a private or patrolman.
- 3
A worker in charge of the wagonway, reporting to the deputy.
- 4
A dragonfly of the genus Ladona.
- 5
The white linen cloth on which the elements of the Eucharist are placed; a communion cloth.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate corporal?
Wiktionary records 3 abbreviations of corporal: Cpl, Cpl., corp..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Corporal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | corporal , cabo |
| French | caporal , corporal |
| German | Stabsgefreiter, Oberstabsgefreiter, Korporal , Korporale |
| Portuguese | cabo , corporal |
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 corporal come from?
From Middle English corporal, corporall, corporel, corporell, from Old French corporal (French corporel), from Latin corporālis, from Latin corpus (“body”); compare corporeal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).