marble
mar·ble/ˈmɑɹ.bəl/noun, verb, adjective
marble is spelled M-A-R-B-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (mar·ble). It appears 9.1 times per million words in written English, the 7,553rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, marble means “A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of marble is marbles.
How many letters and syllables are in marble?
| Letters | 6: M-A-R-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: mar·ble |
| In writing | 9.1 times per million words; the 7,553rd 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 marble?
Marble appears 9.1 times per million words in written English, the 7,553rd 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 marble?
- UK /ˈmɑː.bəl/
- UK [ˈmɑː.bəl] ~ [ˈmɑː.bl̩]
- US /ˈmɑɹ.bəl/
Marble has 2 syllables, split mar·ble in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-marble.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with marble?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as marble from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹbəl/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: ramble, ambler, blamer, lamber.
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 marble
- marbles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- marbling participle, present
- marbled participle, past
- more marble comparative
- most marble superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does marble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone.
- 2
A small ball used in games, originally of marble but now usually of glass or ceramic.
- 3
Statues made from marble.
The Elgin Marbles were originally part of the temple of the Parthenon.
- 4
The marbling in meat.
The marble is graded using the Australian system.
verb
- 1
To cause (something to have) the streaked or swirled appearance of certain types of marble, for example by mixing viscous ingredients incompletely, or by applying paint or other colorants unevenly.
- 2
To get or have the streaked or swirled appearance of certain types of marble, for example due to the incomplete mixing of viscous ingredients, or the uneven application of paint or other colorants.
- 3
To cause meat, usually beef, pork, or lamb, to be interlaced with fat so that its appearance resembles that of marble.
Their flesh is soft (tender), and they throw a portion of their fat among the lean so as to marble it. The beef is of a better quality and they take on fat much easier.
- 4
To become interlaced with fat; (of fat) to interlace through meat.
- 5
To lace or be laced throughout.
adjective
- 1
Made of, or resembling, marble.
a marble mantel
- 2
Cold; hard; unfeeling.
a marble heart
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Marble in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | marbre , bille, grillot, canique , marbrer |
| German | Marmor , Murmel , marmorieren , marmorn |
| Portuguese | mármore , bola de gude, berlinde |
| Spanish | mármol, alioj (disused) , canica, balita, bola, bola de cristal |
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 marble come from?
Inherited from Middle English marble, marbre; from Anglo-Norman and Old French marbre, from Latin marmor, from Ancient Greek μάρμαρος (mármaros), perhaps related to μαρμάρεος (marmáreos, “gleaming”). The forms from French displaced Old English marma, which had previously been borrowed from Latin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).