factual
/ˈfæk.tʃ(u)əl/adjective, noun
factual is spelled F-A-C-T-U-A-L: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 4.1 times per million words in written English, the 12,764th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, factual means “Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in factual?
| Letters | 7: F-A-C-T-U-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.1 times per million words; the 12,764th 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 factual?
Factual appears 4.1 times per million words in written English, the 12,764th 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 factual?
- US /ˈfæk.tʃ(u)əl/
- UK /ˈfæk.(t)ʃ(ʊ)əl/
- UK /ˈfæk.tj(ʊ)əl/
Factual has 3 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-factual.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with factual?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as factual from its last stressed vowel (/æktʃəl/):
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 factual
- more factual comparative
- most factual superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does factual mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims.
- 2
True, accurate, corresponding to reality.
noun
- 1
Programmes having content based on facts, such as documentaries.
The BBC is increasing its budget for factual this year.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Factual in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of facts:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | effectif, factuel |
| German | faktisch, sachlich, auf Tatsachen beruhend |
| Portuguese | factual, fatual |
| Spanish | fáctico, factual |
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 factual come from?
From fact + -ual, modeled after, and by analogy with, actual.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).