instruct
/ɪnˈstɹʌkt/verb
instruct is spelled I-N-S-T-R-U-C-T: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, instruct means “To teach by giving instructions” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in instruct?
| Letters | 8: I-N-S-T-R-U-C-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.0 times per million words; the 19,336th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is instruct?
Instruct appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th 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 instruct?
- US /ɪnˈstɹʌkt/
- Australia /ɪnˈstɹakt/
Instruct 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-instruct.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with instruct?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as instruct from its last stressed vowel (/ʌkt/):
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 instruct
- instructs present, singular, he/she/it
- instructing participle, present
- instructed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does instruct mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To teach by giving instructions.
Listen carefully when someone instructs you how to assemble the furniture.
- 2
To tell (someone) what they must or should do.
Usage note: "instruct" is less forceful than "order", but weightier than "advise"
- 3
To give (one's own lawyer) legal instructions as to how they should act in relation to a particular issue; thereby formally appointing them as one's own legal representative in relation to it.
If you're not careful, I'm going to instruct a solicitor over this.
noun
- 1
obsoleteInstruction.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteArranged; furnished; provided.
- 2
obsoleteInstructed; taught; enlightened.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Instruct in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | instruire, enseigner, apprendre |
| German | instruieren, briefen , anweisen |
| Spanish | instruir |
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 instruct come from?
From Latin īnstrūctus, perfect passive participle of īnstruō (“I instruct; I arrange, furnish, or provide”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).