informal
in·for·mal/ɪnˈfɔɹ.m(ə)l/adjective
informal is spelled I-N-F-O-R-M-A-L: 8 letters and 3 syllables (in·for·mal). It appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “formal vs informal” about 2,400 times a month (Google, United States). As an adjective, informal means “Not formal or ceremonious” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in informal?
| Letters | 8: I-N-F-O-R-M-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: in·for·mal |
| In writing | 7.4 times per million words; the 8,669th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is informal?
Informal appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th 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 informal?
- UK /ɪnˈfɔː.m(ə)l/
- US /ɪnˈfɔɹ.m(ə)l/
Informal has 3 syllables, split in·for·mal in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-informal.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with informal
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with informal?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as informal from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹml/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: formalin.
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 informal
- more informal comparative
- most informal superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does informal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not formal or ceremonious.
an informal get-together
- 2
Not in accord with the usual regulations.
an informal agreement
- 3
Suited for everyday use.
informal clothes
- 4
Reflecting everyday, non-ceremonious usage.
- 5
Not organized; not structured or planned.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate informal?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of informal: inf..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Informal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | informel , familier |
| German | informell, unförmlich, zwanglos , inoffiziell |
| Portuguese | informal |
| Spanish | informal, aformal |
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 informal come from?
From in- + formal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).