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PlainSpell

finger

fin·ger/ˈfɪŋɡɚ/noun, verb

finger is spelled F-I-N-G-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (fin·ger). It appears 30 times per million words in written English, the 3,114th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, finger means “A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of finger is fingers.

How many letters and syllables are in finger?

Letters6: F-I-N-G-E-R
Syllables2: fin·ger
In writing30 times per million words; the 3,114th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

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 finger?

Finger appears 30 times per million words in written English, the 3,114th 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 finger?

  • UK /ˈfɪŋɡəː/
  • UK [ˈfɪŋɡəː]
  • US /ˈfɪŋɡɚ/

Finger has 2 syllables, split fin·ger in writing.

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

What rhymes with finger?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as finger from its last stressed vowel (/ɪŋɡəɹ/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: fringe.

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 finger

  • fingers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • fingering participle, present
  • fingered participle, past

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

What does finger mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many other animals.

    Humans have two hands and ten fingers. Each hand has one thumb and four fingers.

  2. 2

    Similar or similar-looking extremities in other animals, particularly

  3. 3

    The lower, smaller segment of an arthropod claw.

  4. 4

    One of the supporting structures of wings in birds, bats, etc. evolved from earlier toes or fingers.

  5. 5

    One of the slender bony structures before the pectoral fins of gurnards and sea robins (Triglidae).

  6. 6

    Something similar in shape to the human finger, particularly

  7. 7

    Finger-shaped pieces of food.

    chocolate fingers; fish fingers; cheese fingers

  8. 8

    A tube extending from a sealed system, or sometimes into one in the case of a cold finger.

verb

  1. 1

    To identify or point out; to blame for something.

  2. 2

    To report to or identify for the authorities; to inform on.

  3. 3

    To poke, probe, feel, or fondle with a finger or fingers.

  4. 4

    To use the fingers to penetrate or sexually stimulate one's own or another person's vulva, vagina, or anus.

  5. 5

    To use specified finger positions in producing notes on a musical instrument.

  6. 6

    To provide instructions in written music as to which fingers are to be used to produce particular notes or passages.

  7. 7

    To query (a user's status) using the Finger protocol.

  8. 8

    obsoleteTo steal; to purloin.

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

Finger in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchdoigt ((anatomy) extremity of the hand), pointer (to identify or point out), tripoter (to poke), doigter (to penetrate and sexually stimulate with one's…)
GermanFinger ((anatomy) extremity of the hand), fingern (to penetrate and sexually stimulate with one's…)
Portuguesededo (da mão) ((anatomy) extremity of the hand), apontar (to identify or point out), cutucar (to poke), dedilhar (to penetrate and sexually stimulate with one's…)
Spanishdedo, alambres ((anatomy) extremity of the hand), apuntar, señalar (to identify or point out), barra (finger-shaped pieces of food), control (something similar in function to a finger)

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 finger come from?

From Middle English fynger, finger, from Old English finger (“finger”), from Proto-West Germanic *fingr, from Proto-Germanic *fingraz (“finger”), from Proto-Indo-European *penkʷrós, from *pénkʷe (“five”).

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

What to look up after finger