distribute
dis·trib·ute/dɪˈstɹɪbjut/verb
distribute is spelled D-I-S-T-R-I-B-U-T-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables (dis·trib·ute). It appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, distribute means “To divide into portions and dispense” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in distribute?
| Letters | 10: D-I-S-T-R-I-B-U-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: dis·trib·ute |
| In writing | 6.2 times per million words; the 9,735th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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 distribute?
Distribute appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th 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 distribute?
- UK /dɪˈstɹɪbjuːt/
- UK /ˈdɪstɹɪbjuːt/
- US /dɪˈstɹɪbjut/
Distribute has 3 syllables, split dis·trib·ute in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-distribute.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with distribute?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as distribute from its last stressed vowel (/ɪbjut/):
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 distribute
- distributes present, singular, he/she/it
- distributing participle, present
- distributed participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does distribute mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To divide into portions and dispense.
He distributed the bread amongst his followers.
- 2
To supply to retail outlets.
The agency distributes newspapers to local shops.
- 3
To deliver or pass out.
A network of children distributes flyers to every house.
- 4
To scatter or spread.
I raked the soil then distributed grass seed.
- 5
To apportion (more or less evenly).
The robot's six legs distributed its weight over a wide area.
- 6
To classify or separate into categories.
The database distributed verbs into transitive and intransitive segments.
- 7
To be distributive.
Multiplication distributes over addition.
- 8
To separate (type which has been used) and return it to the proper boxes in the cases.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Distribute in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | distribuer , répartir |
| German | aufteilen, verteilen , ausliefern, beliefern |
| Portuguese | distribuir, parcelar , espalhar |
| Spanish | distribuir , repartir |
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 distribute come from?
From Latin distributus, past participle of distribuere (“to divide, distribute”), from dis- (“apart”) + tribuere (“to give, impart”); see tribute.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).