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PlainSpell

manual

man·u·al/ˈmæn.j(u)əl/noun, adjective

manual is spelled M-A-N-U-A-L: 6 letters and 3 syllables (man·u·al). It appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,153rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Manual, the name). As a noun, manual means “Synonym of handbook” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of manual is manuals.

How many letters and syllables are in manual?

Letters6: M-A-N-U-A-L
Syllables3: man·u·al
In writing21 times per million words; the 4,153rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 manual?

Manual appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,153rd most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Manual, the name.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce manual?

  • UK /ˈmæn.j(ʊ)əl/
  • US /ˈmæn.j(u)əl/
  • /ˈmæn(j)ʊwɐl/

Manual has 3 syllables, split man·u·al in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-manual.ogg, En-us-manual.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with manual?

One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as manual from its last stressed vowel (/ænjəl/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: alumna.

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 manual

  • manuals plural
  • more manual comparative
  • most manual superlative

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does manual mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Synonym of handbook.

  2. 2

    A booklet that instructs on the usage of a particular machine or product.

    The dishwasher isn't working; can you remember where we put the manual?

  3. 3

    A drill in the use of weapons, etc.

  4. 4

    An old office-book like the modern Roman Catholic ritual.

  5. 5

    A keyboard on an organ.

  6. 6

    A manual transmission; a gearbox, especially of a motorized vehicle, shifted by the operator.

    Tom's transmission shop can fix both manuals and automatics.

  7. 7

    A vehicle with a manual transmission.

    I'm not used to automatics; I've always driven manuals.

  8. 8

    A keyboard for the hands on a harpsichord, organ, or other musical instrument.

  9. 9

    A manual typewriter (as contrasted with an electronic one).

  10. 10

    colloquialManual measurement of the blood pressure, done with a manual sphygmomanometer.

    do a manual

  11. 11

    A bicycle technique whereby the front wheel is held aloft by the rider, without the use of pedal force.

  12. 12

    A similar maneuver on a skateboard, lifting the front or back wheels while keeping the tail or nose of the board from touching the ground.

  13. 13

    Manual control or operation.

    Put the controls to manual.

adjective

  1. 1

    Performed with the hands.

  2. 2

    Operated by means of the hands.

  3. 3

    Performed by a human rather than a machine.

    The teacher urged the students to do a manual check, because some errors aren't picked up by the spell checker.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Manual in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchmanuel (handbook or booklet that instructs)
GermanHandbuch (handbook or booklet that instructs), manuell (performed with the hands), Schaltgetriebe (manual transmission), Schaltwagen (vehicle with manual transmission), Manual (musical keyboard)
Portuguesemanual (handbook or booklet that instructs), manual de instruções (a booklet that instructs on the usage of a…)
Spanishmanual, enquiridión, prontuario, instructivo (handbook or booklet that instructs)

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 manual come from?

From Middle English manuel, from Old French manuel, from Late Latin manuāle (“handbook, manual”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after manual