metal
met·al/ˈmɛ.təl/noun, adjective, verb
metal is spelled M-E-T-A-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables (met·al). It appears 66 times per million words in written English, the 1,602nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “medal vs metal” about 1,600 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, metal means “Any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms; generally shiny, somewhat malleable and…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of metal is metals.
How many letters and syllables are in metal?
| Letters | 5: M-E-T-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: met·al |
| In writing | 66 times per million words; the 1,602nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Sounds like |
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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is metal?
Metal appears 66 times per million words in written English, the 1,602nd 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 metal?
- /ˈmɛ.təl/
Metal has 2 syllables, split met·al in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-metal.ogg, En-uk-metal.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with metal
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sounds like: mettle (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Also written: mettle.
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of metal
- metals plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- more metal comparative
- most metal superlative
- metaling US, participle, present
- metalling UK, participle, present
- metaled US, participle, past
- metalled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does metal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms; generally shiny, somewhat malleable and hard, often a conductor of heat and electricity.
- 2
Any material with similar physical properties as those chemical elements, especially as a combination of several of them, such as an alloy.
- 3
An element which was not directly created after the Big Bang but instead formed through nuclear reactions; any element other than hydrogen and helium.
- 4
Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.
- 5
The ore from which a metal is derived.
- 6
obsoleteA mine from which ores are taken.
- 7
A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).
- 8
Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.
adjective
- 1
Characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.
- 2
Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music; brash, bold, frank, unyielding, etc.
verb
- 1
To make a road using crushed rock, stones etc.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Metal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
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 metal come from?
From Middle English metal, a borrowing from Old French metal, from Latin metallum (“metal, mine, quarry, mineral”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).