guideline
/ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/noun, verb
guideline is spelled G-U-I-D-E-L-I-N-E: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, guideline means “A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of guideline is guidelines.
How many letters and syllables are in guideline?
| Letters | 9: G-U-I-D-E-L-I-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,906th 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 guideline?
Guideline appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th 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 guideline?
- US /ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/
Guideline 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-guideline.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with guideline
Also written: guide line (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of guideline
- guidelines plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- guidelining participle, present
- guidelined participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does guideline mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour.
He considered the Ten Commandments more as a guideline than a requirement.
- 2
A plan or explanation to guide one in setting standards or determining a course of action.
- 3
A light line, used in lettering, to help align the text.
verb
- 1
To provide guidelines for.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Guideline in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | directive, grande ligne, ligne directrice, principe directeur |
| German | Richtlinie |
| Portuguese | diretriz, diretiva , pauta |
| Spanish | directriz, pauta |
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 guideline come from?
From guide + line.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).