courier
/ˈkʊɹ.i.ɚ/noun, verb
courier is spelled C-O-U-R-I-E-R: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 4.8 times per million words in written English, the 11,541st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “courier vs currier” about 30 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, courier means “A person who delivers messages” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of courier is couriers.
How many letters and syllables are in courier?
| Letters | 7: C-O-U-R-I-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.8 times per million words; the 11,541st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people 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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is courier?
Courier 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 courier?
- UK /ˈkʊ.ɹi.ə/
- US /ˈkʊɹ.i.ɚ/
- US /ˈkɝ.i.ɚ/
Courier 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-courier.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-courier.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with courier
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of courier
- couriers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- couriering participle, present
- couriered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does courier mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A person who delivers messages.
- 2
A company that delivers messages.
- 3
A company that transports goods.
- 4
A user who earns access to a topsite by uploading warez.
- 5
A person who looks after and guides tourists.
verb
- 1
To deliver by courier.
We'll have the contract couriered to you.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Courier in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Reiseführer , Kurier , Kurierdienst |
| Portuguese | guia , mensageiro, estafeta , correio , transportadora |
| French | coursier, messager |
| Spanish | estafeta, estafetero , courier, courrier |
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 courier come from?
From a convergence of Middle English corour, currour, from Old French coreor, agent noun of corir (“to run”), and Middle English courier, a borrowing of Middle French courrier, from Italian corriere.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).