graphite
/ˈɡɹæfaɪt/noun, verb
graphite is spelled G-R-A-P-H-I-T-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,297th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, graphite means “An allotrope of carbon, consisting of planes of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal arrays with the planes stacked loosely, that is used as a dry…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of graphite is graphites.
How many letters and syllables are in graphite?
| Letters | 8: G-R-A-P-H-I-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.2 times per million words; the 18,297th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 graphite?
Graphite appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,297th 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 graphite?
- US /ˈɡɹæfaɪt/
Graphite 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-graphite.ogg, En-uk-graphite.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of graphite
- graphites plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- graphiting participle, present
- graphited participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does graphite mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An allotrope of carbon, consisting of planes of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal arrays with the planes stacked loosely, that is used as a dry lubricant, in "lead" pencils, and as a moderator in some nuclear reactors.
- 2
Graphite-reinforced plastic, a composite plastic made with graphite fibers noted for lightweight strength and stiffness.
Modern tennis racquets are made of graphite, fibreglass and other man-made materials.
- 3
A grey colour, resembling graphite or the marks made with a graphite pencil.
verb
- 1
To apply graphite to.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Graphite in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense form of carbon:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | graphite |
| German | Graphit |
| Portuguese | grafite, grafita |
| Spanish | grafito, plombagina, plumbagina |
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 graphite come from?
Borrowed from German Graphit (A. G. Werner 1789), from Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō, “to write”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).