dialectic
/ˌdaɪəˈlɛktɪk/noun, adjective
dialectic is spelled D-I-A-L-E-C-T-I-C: 9 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dialectic means “Any formal system of reasoning that arrives at a truth by the exchange of logical arguments” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dialectic is dialectics.
How many letters and syllables are in dialectic?
| Letters | 9: D-I-A-L-E-C-T-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,145th 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 dialectic?
Dialectic appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th 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 dialectic?
- /ˌdaɪəˈlɛktɪk/
Dialectic has 4 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-dialectic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of dialectic
- dialectics plural
- more dialectic comparative
- most dialectic superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dialectic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any formal system of reasoning that arrives at a truth by the exchange of logical arguments.
- 2
A contradiction of ideas that serves as the determining factor in their interaction.
This situation created the inner dialectic of American history.
- 3
development by way of overcoming internal contradictions
adjective
- 1
Dialectical (of or relating to dialectic)
- 2
Dialectal (of or relating to a dialect).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dialectic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dialectique |
| German | Dialektik , dialektisch |
| Portuguese | dialética , dialético |
| Spanish | dialéctica , dialéctico |
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 dialectic come from?
From Old French dialectique, from Late Latin dialectica, from Ancient Greek διαλεκτική (dialektikḗ, “the art of argument through interactive questioning and answering”), from διαλεκτικός (dialektikós, “relating to dialogue”), from διαλέγομαι (dialégomai, “to participate in a dialogue”), from διά (diá, “through, across”) + λέγειν (légein, “to speak”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).