merciful
mer·ci·ful/ˈmɝ.sɪ.fl̩/adjective
merciful is spelled M-E-R-C-I-F-U-L: 8 letters and 3 syllables (mer·ci·ful). It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, merciful means “Showing mercy” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in merciful?
| Letters | 8: M-E-R-C-I-F-U-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: mer·ci·ful |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 20,356th 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; 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 merciful?
Merciful appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th 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 merciful?
- UK /ˈmɜː.sɪ.fl̩/
- US /ˈmɝ.sɪ.fl̩/
Merciful has 3 syllables, split mer·ci·ful in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-merciful.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with merciful?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as merciful from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹsɪfl/):
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 merciful
- more merciful comparative
- most merciful superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does merciful mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Showing mercy.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Merciful in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense showing mercy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | miséricordieux, indulgent, sensible |
| German | gnädig, barmherzig |
| Portuguese | misericordioso, piedoso |
| Spanish | misericordioso, misericorde |
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 merciful come from?
From Middle English merciful, mercyful, equivalent to mercy + -ful. Displaced native Old English mildheort.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).