labour
/ˈleɪ.bɚ/noun, verb
labour is spelled L-A-B-O-U-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 50 times per million words in written English, the 2,041st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “labor vs labour” about 2,400 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, labour means “An effort expended on a particular task; toil, work” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of labour is labours.
How many letters and syllables are in labour?
| Letters | 6: L-A-B-O-U-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 50 times per million words; the 2,041st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people 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); 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 labour?
Labour appears 50 times per million words in written English, the 2,041st 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 labour?
- UK /ˈleɪ.bə/
- US /ˈleɪ.bɚ/
Labour 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-uk-labour.ogg, En-us-labor.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with labour
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: labor, labouring.
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with labour?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as labour from its last stressed vowel (/eɪbəɹ/):
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 labour
- labours plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- labor US
- labouring participle, present
- laboured participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does labour mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An effort expended on a particular task; toil, work.
- 2
That which requires hard work for its accomplishment; that which demands effort.
- 3
Workers in general; the working class, the workforce; sometimes specifically the labour movement, organised labour.
- 4
A political party or force aiming or claiming to represent the interests of labour.
- 5
The act or process of a mother giving birth.
Near-synonyms: childbirth, parturition
- 6
The time period during which a mother gives birth.
- 7
The pitching or tossing of a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and rigging.
- 8
A traditional unit of area in Mexico and Texas, equivalent to 177.1 acres or 71.67 ha.
verb
- 1
To toil, to work.
- 2
To belabour, to emphasise or expand upon (a point in a debate, etc).
I think we've all got the idea. There's no need to labour the point.
- 3
To be oppressed with difficulties or disease; to do one's work under conditions which make it especially hard or wearisome; to move slowly, as against opposition, or under a burden.
- 4
To suffer the pangs of childbirth.
- 5
To pitch or roll heavily, as a ship in a turbulent sea.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Labour in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | effort, travail , labeur, besogne , travailleurs, ouvriers |
| German | Arbeit , Arbeiter , Wehen , arbeiten |
| Portuguese | trabalho, labuta , mão de obra , parto , trabalhar |
| Spanish | trabajo , campesinos, trabajadores , parto, paritorio, parición |
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 labour come from?
From Middle English labor, labour, labur, from Old French labor (modern labeur) and its etymon, Latin labor.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).