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PlainSpell

habit

ha·bit/ˈhæb.ɪt/noun, verb

habit is spelled H-A-B-I-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables (ha·bit). It appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,752nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, habit means “An action performed on a regular basis” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of habit is habits.

How many letters and syllables are in habit?

Letters5: H-A-B-I-T
Syllables2: ha·bit
In writing17 times per million words; the 4,752nd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 habit?

Habit appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,752nd 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 habit?

  • /ˈhæb.ɪt/
  • /ˈhæb.ət/

Habit has 2 syllables, split ha·bit in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-habit.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of habit

  • habits plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • habiting participle, present
  • habited participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does habit mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    An action performed on a regular basis.

    It’s become a habit of mine to have a cup of coffee after dinner.

  2. 2

    An action performed repeatedly and automatically, usually without awareness.

    By force of habit, he dressed for work even though it was holiday.

  3. 3

    An addiction.

    kick the habit

  4. 4

    A long piece of clothing worn by monks and nuns.

    It’s interesting how Catholic and Buddhist monks both wear habits.

  5. 5

    A piece of clothing worn for a specific activity; a uniform.

    The new riding habits of the team looked smashing!

  6. 6

    archaicOutward appearance; attire; dress.

  7. 7

    Form of growth or general appearance and structure of a plant or crystal. (a form of growth or general appearance and structure of a plant or crystal)

verb

  1. 1

    To clothe.

  2. 2

    archaicTo inhabit.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Habit in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchhabitude (an action done on a regular basis), habiller (to clothe), habit (long piece of clothing worn by monks and nuns), costume, uniforme (piece of clothing worn uniformly for a specific…)
GermanGewohnheit, Gepflogenheit, Habitus (an action done on a regular basis), Kutte (long piece of clothing worn by monks and nuns)
Portuguesehábito, costume (an action done on a regular basis), uniforme (piece of clothing worn uniformly for a specific…), vício (addiction)
Spanishcostumbre, hábito (an action done on a regular basis), uniforme (piece of clothing worn uniformly for a specific…)

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 habit come from?

From Middle English habit, from Latin habitus (“condition, bearing, state, appearance, dress, attire”), from habeō (“to have, hold, keep”). Distantly related to gift. Replaced Middle English abit, from Old French abit, itself from the same Latin source. Displaced native Old English þēaw, wuna, ġewuna, and sidu.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after habit