depth
/dɛpθ/noun
depth is spelled D-E-P-T-H: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 35 times per million words in written English, the 2,725th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, depth means “the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of depth is depths.
How many letters and syllables are in depth?
| Letters | 5: D-E-P-T-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 35 times per million words; the 2,725th 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 depth?
Depth appears 35 times per million words in written English, the 2,725th 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 depth?
- /dɛpθ/
Depth has one syllable (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-us-depth.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of depth
- depths plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does depth mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep
Measure the depth of the water in this part of the bay.
- 2
the distance between the front and the back, as the depth of a drawer or closet
- 3
the intensity, complexity, strength, seriousness or importance of an emotion, situation, etc.
The depth of her misery was apparent to everyone.
- 4
lowness
the depth of a sound
- 5
the total palette of available colors
- 6
the property of appearing three-dimensional
The depth of field in this picture is amazing.
- 7
the deepest part (usually of a body of water)
The burning ship finally sunk into the depths.
- 8
a very remote part.
Into the depths of the jungle...
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate depth?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of depth: CTD.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Depth in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | profondeur , épaisseur |
| German | Tiefe |
| Portuguese | profundidade, fundura, profundeza |
| Spanish | profundidad, calo, hondura, calado |
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 depth come from?
From Middle English depthe, from Old English *dīepþ (“depth”), from Proto-Germanic *diupiþō (“depth”), equivalent to deep + -th (abstract nominal suffix).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).