flat
/ˈflæt/adjective, adverb, noun, verb
flat is spelled F-L-A-T: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 52 times per million words in written English, the 1,941st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, flat means “Having no variations in height” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in flat?
| Letters | 4: F-L-A-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 52 times per million words; the 1,941st 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; 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 flat?
Flat appears 52 times per million words in written English, the 1,941st 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 flat?
- US /ˈflæt/
- British /ˈflat/
- /ˈflɛt/
Flat has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-flat.ogg, EN-AU_ck1_flat.ogg, En-uk-flat.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with flat?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as flat from its last stressed vowel (/æt/):
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 flat
- flatter comparative
- flattest superlative
- more flat comparative
- most flat superlative
- flats plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- flatting participle, present
- flatted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does flat mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having no variations in height.
The land around here is flat.
- 2
In a horizontal line or plane; not sloping.
a flat roof
- 3
Smooth; having no protrusions, indentations or other surface irregularities, or relatively so.
The surface of the mirror must be completely flat.
- 4
slangHaving small or invisible breasts and/or buttocks.
Near-synonym: flat-chested
- 5
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc.
The exchange rate has been flat for several weeks.
- 6
At a consistently depressed level; consistently lacklustre.
Sales have been flat all year, and we've barely broken even.
- 7
Of fees, fares etc., fixed; unvarying.
a flat fee
- 8
Without variations in pitch.
He delivered the speech in a flat tone.
adverb
- 1
So as to be flat.
Spread the tablecloth flat over the table.
- 2
Completely, firmly, or unequivocally.
I asked him if he wanted to marry me and he turned me down flat.
- 3
Exactly; precisely.
In the mile race, Smith's time was 3:58.56, and Brown's was four minutes flat.
- 4
Used to emphasize the smallness of the measurement.
He can run a mile in four minutes flat.
- 5
Without parole.
- 6
Completely.
I am flat broke this month.
- 7
Directly; flatly.
- 8
Without allowance for accrued interest.
The bonds are trading flat.
noun
- 1
An area of level ground (sometimes covered with shallow or tidal water).
The hovercraft skimmed across the open flats.
- 2
Level ground in general.
I can run on the flat but not up hills.
- 3
Level horse-racing ground, as contrasted with courses incorporating jumps, or the racing done on such ground.
This horse will do better over the flat.
- 4
Australiathe area in the centre of a racecourse.
- 5
The areas behind the line of scrimmage to either side of an offensive football formation.
- 6
A note played one chromatic semitone lower than a natural, denoted by the symbol ♭ placed after the letter representing the note (e.g., B♭) or in front of the note symbol (e.g. ♭♪).
The key of E♭ has three flats.
- 7
informalA flat tyre/flat tire.
- 8
A type of ladies' shoe with a very low heel.
She liked to walk in her flats more than in her high heels.
- 9
AustraliaIndiaUKA complete domicile occupying only part of a building, especially one for rent
verb
- 1
slangTo make a flat call; to call without raising.
- 2
To become flat or flattened; to sink or fall to an even surface.
- 3
colloquialTo fall from the pitch.
- 4
To depress in tone, as a musical note; especially, to lower in pitch by half a tone.
- 5
datedTo make flat; to flatten; to level.
- 6
datedTo render dull, insipid, or spiritless; to depress.
- 7
obsoleteTo beat or strike; pound
- 8
To dash or throw
- 9
To dash, rush
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Flat in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | plat , ennuyeux, plate , bémol , bas, grave |
| German | flach, eben , flau , platt , glatt , direkt |
| Portuguese | plano, chato , bemol , raso , monótono , diretamente |
| Spanish | llano, plano , soso , bemol , chato , desinflado |
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 flat come from?
From Middle English flat, a borrowing from Old Norse flatr (compare Norwegian and Swedish flat, Danish flad), from Proto-Germanic *flataz, from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“flat”); akin to Saterland Frisian flot (“smooth”), German Flöz (“a geological layer”), Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús), Latvian plats, Sanskrit प्रथस् (prathas, “extension”). Doublet of plat and pleyt. The noun is from Middle English flat (“level piece of ground, flat edge of a weapon”), from the adjective.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).