gentle
gen·tle/ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/adjective, verb, noun
gentle is spelled G-E-N-T-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (gen·tle). It appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,407th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, gentle means “Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in gentle?
| Letters | 6: G-E-N-T-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: gen·tle |
| In writing | 15 times per million words; the 5,407th 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 gentle?
Gentle appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,407th 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 gentle?
- UK /ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/
- US /ˈd͡ʒɛn.tl̩/
- US [ˈd͡ʒɛ̃.ɾ̃l̩]
Gentle has 2 syllables, split gen·tle in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-gentle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with gentle?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as gentle from its last stressed vowel (/ɛntl/):
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 gentle
- gentler comparative
- more gentle comparative
- gentlest superlative
- most gentle superlative
- gentles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- gentling participle, present
- gentled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gentle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
Stuart is a gentle man; he would never hurt you.
- 2
Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.
I felt something touch my shoulder; it was gentle and a little slimy.
- 3
Docile and easily managed.
We had a gentle swim in the lake.
- 4
Gradual rather than steep or sudden.
The walks in this area have a gentle incline.
- 5
Polite and respectful rather than rude.
He gave me a gentle reminder that we had to hurry up.
- 6
archaicWell-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.
verb
- 1
To become gentle.
- 2
obsoleteTo ennoble.
- 3
To break; to tame; to domesticate.
- 4
To soothe; to calm; to make gentle.
noun
- 1
archaicA person of high birth.
- 2
A maggot used as bait by anglers.
- 3
A trained falcon, or falcon-gentil.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gentle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | gentil , doux , docile |
| German | liebenswürdig , einfühlsam, sanftmütig, sanft , gemächlich |
| Portuguese | gentil |
| Spanish | gentil, apacible , manso |
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 gentle come from?
From Middle English gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).