lighter
light·er/ˈlaɪtɚ/noun, verb, adjective
lighter is spelled L-I-G-H-T-E-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables (light·er). It appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,138th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, lighter means “A person who lights things” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of lighter is lighters.
How many letters and syllables are in lighter?
| Letters | 7: L-I-G-H-T-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: light·er |
| In writing | 12 times per million words; the 6,138th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| 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 lighter?
Lighter appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,138th 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 lighter?
- US /ˈlaɪtɚ/
- US [ˈlaɪɾɚ]
- UK /ˈlaɪtə/
Lighter has 2 syllables, split light·er in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-lighter.wav, En-us-lighter.ogg, En-uk-lighter.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with lighter?
8 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as lighter from its last stressed vowel (/aɪtəɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: relight.
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 lighter
- lighters plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- lightering participle, present
- lightered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lighter mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A person who lights things.
a lighter of lamps
- 2
A device used to light things, especially a reusable handheld device for creating fire to light cigarettes.
Cigarette in mouth, he clutched his pockets in search of a lighter.
- 3
A flat-bottomed boat for carrying heavy loads across short distances (especially for canals or for loading or unloading larger boats).
verb
- 1
To transfer (cargo or passengers) to or from a ship by means of a lighter or other small vessel.
- 2
To transfer cargo or fuel from (a ship), lightening it to make its draft less or to make it easier to refloat.
adjective
- 1
comparative form of light: more light
I prefer a lighter shade of pink.
- 2
comparative form of light: more light
What happened? You look 10 lbs. lighter!
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lighter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | briquet |
| German | (handheld) Feuerzeug, Zigarettenanzünder , Leichter |
| Portuguese | acendedor, isqueiro |
| Spanish | encendedor, briquet, fosforera, lighter, mechero, yesquero |
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 lighter come from?
From light (“to ignite”) + -er. Cognate with Middle Dutch lichtere, lichter (“one who spreads light, illuminator”), Dutch lichter, luchter (“candle-holder, chandelier”). Compare also Middle English lightnere, liȝtnere (“one who enlightens or illuminates”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).