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countdown

/ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/noun, verb

countdown is spelled C-O-U-N-T-D-O-W-N: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 4.8 times per million words in written English, the 11,541st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, countdown means “A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of countdown is countdowns.

How many letters and syllables are in countdown?

Letters9: C-O-U-N-T-D-O-W-N
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing4.8 times per million words; the 11,541st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 countdown?

Countdown appears 4.8 times per million words in written English, the 11,541st 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 countdown?

  • /ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/

Countdown has 2 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-countdown.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with countdown

Also written: count-down (one word or two).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of countdown

  • countdowns plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • count down
  • count-down
  • countdowning participle, present
  • countdowned participle, past

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

What does countdown mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.

  2. 2

    The acts of preparation carried out during this period.

  3. 3

    A radio or television program counting down the top songs of a given week, usually in reverse order and ending with the number one song.

verb

  1. 1

    nonstandardTo count down.

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

Countdown in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcompte à rebours, décompte (a count backward to the time of some event), hit-parade, top 50 (a radio or television program counting down the…)
GermanCountdown (a count backward to the time of some event), Zeitkontrolle (the acts of preparation carried out during this…)
Portuguesecontagem regressiva (a count backward to the time of some event), retrocontagem (the acts of preparation carried out during this…)
Spanishcuenta atrás, cuenta regresiva, conteo regresivo (a count backward to the time of some event)

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 countdown come from?

From count + down.

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

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