mayor
may·or/ˈmeɪ̯.ɚ/noun
mayor is spelled M-A-Y-O-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (may·or). It appears 42 times per million words in written English, the 2,392nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, mayor means “The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, etc., formerly (historical) usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of mayor is mayors.
How many letters and syllables are in mayor?
| Letters | 5: M-A-Y-O-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: may·or |
| In writing | 42 times per million words; the 2,392nd 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 mayor?
Mayor appears 42 times per million words in written English, the 2,392nd 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 mayor?
- UK /ˈmɛə̯/
- US /ˈmeɪ̯.ɚ/
- /ˈmɛɚ/
Mayor has 2 syllables, split may·or in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-mayor.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with mayor
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with mayor?
9 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as mayor from its last stressed vowel (/eɪəɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: moray.
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 mayor
- mayors plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mayor mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, etc., formerly (historical) usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal courts but now usually appointed or elected locally.
- 2
Ellipsis of mayor of the palace, the royal stewards of the Frankish Empire.
- 3
Synonym of mair, various former officials in the Kingdom of Scotland.
- 4
IrelandobsoleterareA member of a city council.
- 5
obsoleteA high justice, an important judge.
- 6
USA largely ceremonial position in some municipal governments that presides over the city council while a contracted city manager holds actual executive power.
- 7
A local VIP, a muckamuck or big shot reckoned to lead some local group.
In some parts the burlesque civic official was designated ‘Mayor of the Pig Market’.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mayor in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense leader of a city:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | maire, mairesse, bourgmestre |
| German | Bürgermeister, Bürgermeisterin |
| Portuguese | prefeito, presidente da câmara |
| Spanish | alcalde, alcaldesa, intendente, presidente municipal, regente, síndico |
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 mayor come from?
From Middle English maire, from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”), a substantivation of Old French maire (“greater”), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”). Doublet of major. Cognate with Old High German meior (“estate manager, steward, bailiff”) (modern German Meier), Middle Dutch meier (“administrator, steward, bailiff”) (modern Dutch meier).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).