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PlainSpell

frame

/ˈfɹeɪ̯m/verb, noun

frame is spelled F-R-A-M-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 38 times per million words in written English, the 2,581st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, frame means “To fit, as for a specific end or purpose; make suitable or comfortable; adapt; adjust” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in frame?

Letters5: F-R-A-M-E
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing38 times per million words; the 2,581st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

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).

How common is frame?

Frame appears 38 times per million words in written English, the 2,581st 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 frame?

  • /ˈfɹeɪ̯m/

Frame has one syllable (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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-frame.wav, En-us-frame.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of frame

  • frames present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • framing participle, present
  • framed participle, past

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

What does frame mean?

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

verb

  1. 1

    To fit, as for a specific end or purpose; make suitable or comfortable; adapt; adjust.

  2. 2

    To construct by fitting together or uniting various parts; fabricate by union of constituent parts.

  3. 3

    To bring or put into form or order; adjust the parts or elements of; compose; contrive; plan; devise.

  4. 4

    To put together the structural elements of (a constructed object such as a building).

    Once we finish framing the house, we'll hang tin on the roof.

  5. 5

    To place (a picture such as a painting or photograph) inside a decorative border.

  6. 6

    To position visually within a fixed boundary.

    The director frames the fishing scene very well.

  7. 7

    To construct in words so as to establish a context for understanding or interpretation.

    How would you frame your accomplishments?

  8. 8

    Conspire to falsely incriminate an innocent person.

    The gun had obviously been placed in her car in an effort to frame her.

noun

  1. 1

    The structural elements of a building or other constructed object.

    Now that the frame is complete, we can start on the walls.

  2. 2

    Anything composed of parts fitted and united together; a fabric; a structure.

  3. 3

    A human body or the structure thereof; the size, shape, sturdiness etc. of a person's body as described in a certain way; one's build.

    His starved flesh hung loosely on his once imposing frame.

  4. 4

    A rigid, generally rectangular mounting for paper, canvas or other flexible material.

    The painting was housed in a beautifully carved frame.

  5. 5

    A piece of photographic film containing an image.

    12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift If the audience had a nickel for every time a character on one side of the frame says something could never happen as it simultaneously happens on the other side of the frame, they

  6. 6

    A context for understanding or interpretation.

    In this frame, it's easy to ask the question that the investigators missed.

  7. 7

    A conspiracy to falsely incriminate an innocent person.

  8. 8

    A complete game of snooker, from break-off until all the balls (or as many as necessary to win) have been potted.

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

Frame in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Germanausarbeiten, entwerfen (put together the structural elements), einfassen, einrahmen (add a decorative border to a picture), rahmen, festlegen (position visually within a fixed boundary)
Portuguesemontar, armar (put together the structural elements), emoldurar, enquadrar (add a decorative border to a picture), incriminar (cause a person to appear guilty), estrutura (structural elements of a building or other…)
Spanishlevantar la estructura, armar (put together the structural elements), enmarcar, encuadrar (add a decorative border to a picture), concebir, contextualizar (position visually within a fixed boundary)
Frenchencadrer (add a decorative border to a picture), cadre, armature, ossature (structural elements of a building or other…), carrure (structure of a person's body)

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 frame come from?

From Middle English framen, fremen, fremmen (“to construct, build, strengthen, refresh, perform, execute, profit, avail”), from Old English framian, fremian, fremman (“to profit, avail, advance”), from Proto-West Germanic *frammjan, from Proto-Germanic *framjaną (“to further, promote, perform”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“front, forward”).

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

What to look up after frame