germane
/d͡ʒɝˈmeɪn/adjective, noun
germane is spelled G-E-R-M-A-N-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 64,400th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, germane means “Related to a topic of discussion or consideration” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in germane?
| Letters | 7: G-E-R-M-A-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 64,400th 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 germane?
Germane appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 64,400th 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 germane?
- UK /dʒɜː(ɹ)ˈmeɪn/
- US /d͡ʒɝˈmeɪn/
Germane has 2 syllables (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: En-us-germane.ogg, En-au-germane.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with germane?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as germane from its last stressed vowel (/eɪn/):
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 germane
- more germane comparative
- most germane superlative
- germanes plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does germane mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Related to a topic of discussion or consideration.
noun
- 1
germanium tetrahydride, GeH₄
- 2
Any organic derivative of this compound.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Germane in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pertinent , germane |
| German | relevant , Monogerman |
| Portuguese | pertinente, relevante , germano |
| Spanish | relacionado , germano |
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 germane come from?
A variant form of german (“having the same parents; related”), adapted in this sense in allusions to its use in Shakespeare's Hamlet (see quotations at germaine).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).