lighten
/ˈlaɪ.tn̩/verb
lighten is spelled L-I-G-H-T-E-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,297th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, lighten means “To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in lighten?
| Letters | 7: L-I-G-H-T-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.2 times per million words; the 18,297th 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 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 lighten?
Lighten appears 2.2 times per million words in written English, the 18,297th 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 lighten?
- /ˈlaɪ.tn̩/
- [ˈlaɪtn̩]
- [ˈlaɪʔn̩]
Lighten 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-lighten.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with lighten?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as lighten.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: enlight.
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 lighten
- lightens present, singular, he/she/it
- lightening participle, present
- lightened participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lighten mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets
- 2
To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
- 3
archaicTo flash lightning, to give off lightning.
- 4
To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
- 5
archaicTo illuminate with knowledge.
- 6
To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.
Sorrow can be lightened by being openly brought out.
- 7
To make light or lighter in weight.
- 8
To make less serious or more cheerful.
- 9
To become light or lighter in weight.
- 10
To become less serious or more cheerful.
- 11
To descend; to light.
Book of Common Prayer O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lighten in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | aclarar , aclararse , aligerar, alivianar , aligerarse |
| German | blitzen , erleichtern |
| French | alléger |
| Portuguese | aligeirar , aliviar |
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 lighten come from?
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light + -en.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).