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PlainSpell

figure

fig·ure/ˈfɪɡɚ/noun, verb

figure is spelled F-I-G-U-R-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (fig·ure). It appears 117 times per million words in written English, the 904th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, figure means “A drawing or diagram conveying information” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of figure is figures.

How many letters and syllables are in figure?

Letters6: F-I-G-U-R-E
Syllables2: fig·ure
In writing117 times per million words; the 904th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 figure?

Figure appears 117 times per million words in written English, the 904th 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 figure?

  • UK /ˈfɪɡə/
  • US /ˈfɪɡɚ/
  • US /ˈfɪɡjɚ/

Figure has 2 syllables, split fig·ure in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-figure.wav, En-us-figure.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with figure?

11 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as figure from its last stressed vowel (/ɪɡəɹ/):

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 figure

  • figures plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • figuring participle, present
  • figured participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does figure mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A drawing or diagram conveying information.

  2. 2

    The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modelling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body.

    a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble

  3. 3

    A person, thing, or action representative of another

  4. 4

    The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person.

    He cut a sorry figure standing there in the rain.

  5. 5

    obsoleteDistinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendour; show.

  6. 6

    A human figure, which dress or corset must fit to; the shape of a human body.

  7. 7

    A numeral.

  8. 8

    A number, an amount.

verb

  1. 1

    USTo calculate, to solve a mathematical problem.

  2. 2

    USTo come to understand.

    I can’t figure if he’s telling the truth or lying.

  3. 3

    To think, to assume, to suppose, to reckon.

    We can figure on running a loss this year.

  4. 4

    USTo be reasonable or predictable.

    It figures that somebody like him would be upset about the situation.

  5. 5

    To enter into; to be a part of.

  6. 6

    To represent in a picture or drawing.

  7. 7

    obsoleteTo represent by a figure, as to form or mould; to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into a determinate form; to shape.

  8. 8

    To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate figure?

Wiktionary records 3 abbreviations of figure: f., fig, fig..

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Figure in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchfigure (drawing), forme, silhouette (human figure; shape of human body), personnage, personnalité (a person, representing a certain consciousness), résoudre (to calculate, to solve a mathematical problem)
GermanAbbildung (drawing), Figur (human figure; shape of human body), Gestalt (a person, representing a certain consciousness), Ziffer (numeral), Form (shape)
Portuguesefigura (drawing), resolver (to calculate, to solve a mathematical problem), cifra, número (numeral), perceber, compreender (to come to understand)
Spanishfigura (drawing), talle (human figure; shape of human body), ocurrírsele (to calculate, to solve a mathematical problem), cifra, guarismo (numeral), llegar a esa conclusión (to think, to assume, to suppose, to reckon)

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 figure come from?

From Middle English figure, borrowed from Old French figure, from Latin figūra (“form, shape, form of a word, a figure of speech, Late Latin a sketch, drawing”), from fingō (“to form, shape, mold, fashion”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- (“to mold, shape, form, knead”). Cognate with Ancient Greek τεῖχος (teîkhos), Sanskrit देग्धि (dégdhi), Old English dāg (“dough”). More at dough. Doublet of figura.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after figure