marmalade
mar·ma·lade/ˈmɑɹ.mə.leɪd/noun, verb
marmalade is spelled M-A-R-M-A-L-A-D-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (mar·ma·lade). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,236th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, marmalade means “A kind of jam made with citrus fruit, distinguished by being made slightly bitter by the addition of the peel and by partial caramelisation during…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of marmalade is marmalades.
How many letters and syllables are in marmalade?
| Letters | 9: M-A-R-M-A-L-A-D-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: mar·ma·lade |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 33,236th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is marmalade?
Marmalade appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,236th 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 marmalade?
- UK /ˈmɑː.mə.leɪd/
- US /ˈmɑɹ.mə.leɪd/
Marmalade has 3 syllables, split mar·ma·lade in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-marmalade.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of marmalade
- marmalades plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- marmalading participle, present
- marmaladed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does marmalade mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A kind of jam made with citrus fruit, distinguished by being made slightly bitter by the addition of the peel and by partial caramelisation during manufacture. Most commonly made with Seville oranges, and usually qualified by the name of the fruit when made with other types of fruit.
lime marmalade
- 2
obsoleteQuince jam.
- 3
A cat having orange- or ginger-colored fur.
verb
- 1
To spread marmalade on.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Marmalade in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense citrus jam:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | confiture, confiture d'oranges, marmelade d'oranges |
| German | Marmelade |
| Portuguese | geleia |
| Spanish | mermelada |
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 marmalade come from?
Borrowed from Middle French marmelade, from Portuguese marmelada (“quince jam”), from marmelo (“quince”), from Latin melimēlum (“sweet apple”), from Ancient Greek μελίμηλον (melímēlon), from μέλι (méli, “honey”) + μῆλον (mêlon, “apple”). A false folk etymology claims that this comes from the French phrase “Marie est malade” (“Mary is ill”), referring to Mary, Queen of Scots, falling ill and being given marmalade to feel better.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).