elect
/ɪˈlɛkt/noun, verb, adjective
elect is spelled E-L-E-C-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, elect means “One chosen or set apart” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of elect is elects.
How many letters and syllables are in elect?
| Letters | 5: E-L-E-C-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,784th 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 elect?
Elect appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th 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 elect?
- UK /ɪˈlɛkt/
- US /ɪˈlɛkt/
- US /i-/
Elect has 2 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: En-us-elect.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with elect?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as elect from its last stressed vowel (/ɛkt/):
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 elect
- elects plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- electing participle, present
- elected participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does elect mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
One chosen or set apart.
- 2
In Calvinist theology, one foreordained to Heaven. In other Christian theologies, someone chosen by God for salvation.
verb
- 1
To choose or make a decision (to do something).
- 2
(Of a group) to officially select one or more candidates in an election to hold office.
adjective
- 1
Who has been elected in a specified post, but has not yet entered office.
He is the President elect.
- 2
Chosen; taken by preference from among two or more.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Elect in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | élu, élue , choisir, décider , élire |
| German | entscheiden, wählen , gewählt |
| Portuguese | eleger , eleito |
| Spanish | elegir, esleer, esleír, eligir , electo |
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 elect come from?
Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).