margarine
/ˌmɑː.d͡ʒəˈɹiːn/noun, verb
margarine is spelled M-A-R-G-A-R-I-N-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, margarine means “A spread, manufactured from a blend of vegetable oils (some of which are hydrogenated), emulsifiers etc, mostly used as a substitute for butter” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of margarine is margarines.
How many letters and syllables are in margarine?
| Letters | 9: M-A-R-G-A-R-I-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 35,748th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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 margarine?
Margarine appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th 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 margarine?
- UK /ˌmɑː.d͡ʒəˈɹiːn/
- UK /ˈmɑː.d͡ʒ(ə.)ɹɪn/
- UK /ˌmɑː.ɡəˈɹiːn/
Margarine has 3 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: En-us-margarine.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with margarine
Also written: marge.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with margarine?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as margarine from its last stressed vowel (/in/, British pronunciation):
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 margarine
- margarines plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- margarining participle, present
- margarined participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does margarine mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A spread, manufactured from a blend of vegetable oils (some of which are hydrogenated), emulsifiers etc, mostly used as a substitute for butter.
- 2
datedThe solid ingredient of human fat, olive oil, etc.
verb
- 1
To spread or cover (something) with margarine.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate margarine?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of margarine: marg, marge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Margarine in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense spread:
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 margarine come from?
Borrowed from French margarine, from acide margarique (“margaric acid”), from Ancient Greek μάργαρον (márgaron, “pearl”), in allusion to its pearly lustre, with the suffix -ine, influenced by glycérine (“glycerine”). French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul named margaric acid after its pearl-like crystallization.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).