ligature
/ˈlɪɡət͡ʃɚ/noun, verb
ligature is spelled L-I-G-A-T-U-R-E: 8 letters. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, ligature means “The act of tying or binding something” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ligature is ligatures.
How many letters and syllables are in ligature?
| Letters | 8: L-I-G-A-T-U-R-E |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,943rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 ligature?
Ligature appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd 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 ligature?
- US /ˈlɪɡət͡ʃɚ/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vininn126-ligature.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of ligature
- ligatures plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- ligaturing participle, present
- ligatured participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ligature mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of tying or binding something.
- 2
A cord or similar thing used to tie something; especially the thread used in surgery to close a vessel or duct.
anti-ligature clothing
- 3
A thread or wire used to remove tumours, etc.
- 4
The state of being bound or stiffened; stiffness.
the ligature of a joint
- 5
A character that visually combines multiple letters, such as æ, œ, ß or ij; also logotype. Sometimes called a typographic ligature.
- 6
A linker word that is classified as a separate part of speech, usually present in Philippine languages.
- 7
A group of notes played as a phrase, or the curved line that indicates such a phrase.
- 8
A curve or line connecting notes; a slur.
verb
- 1
To ligate; to tie.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ligature in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
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 ligature come from?
From Middle English ligature, from Middle French ligature, from Late Latin ligātūra, from ligāre (“to tie, bind”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).