downtime
down·time/ˈdaʊnˌtaɪm/noun
downtime is spelled D-O-W-N-T-I-M-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables (down·time). It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “down-time vs downtime” about 30 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, downtime means “Time lost due to the failure of some system or machinery, such as a computer crash or power outage” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of downtime is downtimes.
How many letters and syllables are in downtime?
| Letters | 8: D-O-W-N-T-I-M-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: down·time |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd 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; 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 downtime?
Downtime appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd 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 downtime?
- UK /ˈdaʊntaɪm/
- US /ˈdaʊnˌtaɪm/
Downtime has 2 syllables, split down·time in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-downtime.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with downtime
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: down-time (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of downtime
- downtimes plural
- down time
- down-time
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does downtime mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Time lost due to the failure of some system or machinery, such as a computer crash or power outage.
- 2
A period of time when work or other activity is less intense or stops.
- 3
CanadaUSA period of time set aside for relaxation and rest; leisure time, free time.
I’ve been working all weekend. I need some downtime.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Downtime in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pause, repos, taux d'indisponibilité, temps d'arrêt |
| German | Downtime, Ausfallzeit |
| Spanish | tiempo muerto, tiempo inactivo |
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 downtime come from?
From down (“out of order; out of service; inoperable”) + time.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).