formula
for·mu·la/ˈfɔɹ.mjə.lə/noun
formula is spelled F-O-R-M-U-L-A: 7 letters and 3 syllables (for·mu·la). It appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,288th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, formula means “Any mathematical rule expressed symbolically” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of formula is formulas or formulae; Wiktionary also lists formulæ (archaic).
How many letters and syllables are in formula?
| Letters | 7: F-O-R-M-U-L-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: for·mu·la |
| In writing | 28 times per million words; the 3,288th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is formula?
Formula appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,288th 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 formula?
- UK /ˈfɔː.mjʊ.lə/
- US /ˈfɔɹ.mjə.lə/
- Australia /ˈfoː.mjə.lə/
Formula has 3 syllables, split for·mu·la in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-formula.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of formula
- formulas plural
- formulae plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does formula mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any mathematical rule expressed symbolically.
x=(-b±√)/(2a) is a formula for finding the roots of the quadratic equation ax² + bx + c = 0.
- 2
A symbolic expression of the structure of a compound.
H₂O is the formula for water.
- 3
A plan or method for dealing with a problem or for achieving a result.
The company's winning formula includes excellent service and quality products.
- 4
A formulation; a prescription; a mixture or solution made in a prescribed manner; the identity and quantities of ingredients of such a mixture.
The formula of the rocket fuel has not been revealed.
- 5
A fixed phrase or set of words intended to be interpreted non-literally, typically used attitudinally or as part of convention; a formulation.
Avoid the typical epistolic formalae, such as "Kind regards".
- 6
A formal statement of doctrine.
- 7
Ellipsis of infant formula, drink given to babies to substitute for mother's milk.
They tried switching formulas, and it seemed to work: the baby seemed more content while feeding.
- 8
A syntactic expression of a proposition, built up from quantifiers, logical connectives, variables, relation and operation symbols, and, depending on the type of logic, possibly other operators such as modal, temporal, deontic or epistemic ones.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Formula in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | formule , aliment lacté pour nourrissons, préparation pour nourrissons, lait maternisé |
| German | Formel , Rezept , Rezeptur, Zusammensetzung, Bestandteile |
| Portuguese | fórmula |
| Spanish | fórmula , preparado para lactantes, leche maternizada, fórmula infantil |
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 formula come from?
Learned borrowing from Latin fōrmula (“a small pattern or mold, form, rule, principle, method, formula”), diminutive of forma (“a form”). See form.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).