enlarge
/ɪnˈlɑɹd͡ʒ/verb
enlarge is spelled E-N-L-A-R-G-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, enlarge means “To make (something) larger” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in enlarge?
| Letters | 7: E-N-L-A-R-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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 enlarge?
Enlarge 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 enlarge?
- UK /ɪnˈlɑːd͡ʒ/
- US /ɪnˈlɑɹd͡ʒ/
Enlarge 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-enlarge.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with enlarge?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as enlarge from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹdʒ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: general, gleaner.
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 enlarge
- enlarges present, singular, he/she/it
- enlarging participle, present
- enlarged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does enlarge mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make (something) larger.
We'll need to enlarge our budget if we want to include the helicopter ride in our holiday.
- 2
To grow larger.
- 3
To increase the capacity of; to expand; to give free scope or greater scope to; also, to dilate, as with joy, affection, etc.
Knowledge enlarges the mind.
- 4
To speak or write at length upon or on (some subject); expand; elaborate
- 5
archaicTo release; to set at large.
- 6
To get more astern or parallel with the vessel's course; to draw aft; said of the wind.
- 7
To extend the time allowed for compliance with (an order or rule).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Enlarge in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense make larger:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | agrandir, élargir, accroître |
| German | vergrößern |
| Portuguese | aumentar, ampliar, engrandecer |
| Spanish | ampliar, agrandar, engrandecer, engrandar |
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 enlarge come from?
From Middle English enlargen, from Old French enlargier, enlargir. By surface analysis, en- + large.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).