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PlainSpell

dial

di·al/ˈdaɪ.əl/noun, verb

dial is spelled D-I-A-L: 4 letters and 2 syllables (di·al). It appears 8.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,910th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dial means “A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dial is dials.

How many letters and syllables are in dial?

Letters4: D-I-A-L
Syllables2: di·al
In writing8.5 times per million words; the 7,910th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
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 dial?

Dial appears 8.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,910th 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 dial?

  • US /ˈdaɪ.əl/
  • US [ˈdaɪ.əɫ]

Dial has 2 syllables, split di·al in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-dial.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with dial

Also written: dialling.

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

What rhymes with dial?

3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dial from its last stressed vowel (/aɪəl/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: laid.

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 dial

  • dials plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • dialing US, participle, present
  • dialling UK, participle, present
  • dialed US, participle, past
  • dialled UK, participle, past

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

What does dial mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).

    Holonyms: (often holonymous) instrument, gauge

  2. 2

    Such a field as part of a clock face; (metonymic) the entire clock face.

  3. 3

    A sundial.

  4. 4

    A panel on a radio etc showing wavelengths or channels; a knob that is turned to change the wavelength etc.

    Turn the dial to Radio 4: my favourite show is on!

  5. 5

    A disk with finger holes on a telephone; used to select the number to be called.

    His hands were too fat to operate the dial on the telephone.

  6. 6

    AustraliaUKslangA person's face.

  7. 7

    A miner's compass.

verb

  1. 1

    To control or select something with a dial, or (figuratively) as if with a dial.

    The lead guitarist for the rock band Spinal Tap dialed his amplifier to 11.

  2. 2

    To select a number, or to call someone, on a telephone, regardless of whether a physical dial is present.

    In an emergency dial 999.

  3. 3

    To use a dial or a telephone.

    Please be careful when dialling.

  4. 4

    To initiate a connection to a remote computer service such as a database.

    The application failed when attempting to dial the Postgres server, because there were too many open connections.

  5. 5

    datedTo use a dial-up modem to connect a personal computer to the Internet.

    I always check my guestbook when I dial, just in case anyone saw my Web site.

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

Dial in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcadran (graduated, circular scale over which a needle…), bouille, tronche (person's face), composer, signaler (to select a number, or to call someone, on a…)
GermanZifferblatt (graduated, circular scale over which a needle…), wählen (to select a number, or to call someone, on a…), Wählscheibe, Nummernschalter, Nummernscheibe (disk with finger holes on a telephone)
Spanishdial (graduated, circular scale over which a needle…), marcar, discar (to select a number, or to call someone, on a…)
Portuguesediscar (to select a number, or to call someone, on a…)

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 dial come from?

The original meaning was 'sundial' and/or 'clock dial'; from Middle English diall, from Middle French dyal, from Latin diālis (“daily, concerning the day”), because of its use in telling the time of day, from Latin diēs (“day”). Compare Spanish dial and día (“day”).

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

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