item
i·tem/ˈaɪ.təm/noun, verb, adverb
item is spelled I-T-E-M: 4 letters and 2 syllables (i·tem). It appears 37 times per million words in written English, the 2,618th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, item means “A distinct physical object” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of item is items.
How many letters and syllables are in item?
| Letters | 4: I-T-E-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: i·tem |
| In writing | 37 times per million words; the 2,618th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| 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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is item?
Item appears 37 times per million words in written English, the 2,618th 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 item?
- UK /ˈaɪ.təm/
- US /ˈaɪ.təm/
- US [ˈaɪ̯.ɾəm]
Item has 2 syllables, split i·tem in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-item.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with item?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as item (/aɪtəm/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: time, emit, mite.
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 item
- items plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- iteming participle, present
- itemed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does item mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A distinct physical object.
Tweezers are great for manipulating small items.
- 2
An object that can be picked up for later use.
- 3
A line of text having a legal or other meaning; a separate particular in an account.
the items in a bill
- 4
A question on a test, which may include its answers.
The exam has 100 items, each of which includes a correct response and three distractors.
- 5
A matter for discussion in an agenda.
The first item for discussion is the budget for next year's picnic.
- 6
informalTwo people who are having a romantic or sexual relationship with each other.
Jack and Jill are an item.
- 7
A short article in a newspaper.
an item concerning the weather
- 8
obsoleteA hint; an innuendo.
verb
- 1
To make a note of.
adverb
- 1
likewise
noun
- 1
radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter I.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Item in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | article, truc , objet , point |
| German | Ding, Gegenstand, Stück, Artikel |
| Portuguese | item |
| Spanish | artículo, insumo, elemento, producto, ítem |
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 item come from?
From Middle English item, from Latin item (“also; in the same manner”). The present English meaning derives from a usage in lists, where the first entry would begin in primis (“firstly”) or imprimis, and the other entries with item (“also, moreover”). Later, the members of lists were referred to as "items".
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).