gradual
grad·u·al/ˈɡɹadʒuəl/adjective, noun
gradual is spelled G-R-A-D-U-A-L: 7 letters and 3 syllables (grad·u·al). It appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, gradual means “Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in gradual?
| Letters | 7: G-R-A-D-U-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: grad·u·al |
| In writing | 4.7 times per million words; the 11,685th 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 gradual?
Gradual appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th 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 gradual?
- /ˈɡɹadʒuəl/
- /ˈɡɹadʒəl/
- /ˈɡɹadjuəl/
Gradual has 3 syllables, split grad·u·al in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-gradual.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of gradual
- more gradual comparative
- most gradual superlative
- graduall
- graduals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gradual mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees
a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline
noun
- 1
An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
- 2
A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gradual in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense proceeding by steps or small degrees:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | graduel |
| German | allmählich, graduell, schrittweise zunehmend |
| Portuguese | gradual |
| Spanish | gradual, paulatino |
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 gradual come from?
From Medieval Latin graduālis, from Latin gradus (“step”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰradʰ-, *gʰredʰ- (“to walk, go”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌹𐌸𐍃 (griþs, “step, grade”), Bavarian Gritt (“step, stride”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).