Skip to main content
PlainSpell

microwave

/ˈmaɪkɹoʊˌweɪv/noun, verb

microwave is spelled M-I-C-R-O-W-A-V-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 6.3 times per million words in written English, the 9,594th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, microwave means “An electromagnetic wave with wavelength between that of infrared light and radio waves” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of microwave is microwaves.

How many letters and syllables are in microwave?

Letters9: M-I-C-R-O-W-A-V-E
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing6.3 times per million words; the 9,594th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

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).

How common is microwave?

Microwave appears 6.3 times per million words in written English, the 9,594th 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 microwave?

  • /ˈmaɪkɹəˌweɪv/
  • UK /ˈmaɪkɹəʊˌweɪv/
  • US /ˈmaɪkɹoʊˌweɪv/

Microwave 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-microwave.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of microwave

  • microwaves plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • microwaving participle, present
  • microwaved participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does microwave mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    An electromagnetic wave with wavelength between that of infrared light and radio waves.

    Many radar systems use a combination of radio waves and microwaves.

  2. 2

    Ellipsis of microwave oven.

    Just put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and it's ready to eat.

verb

  1. 1

    To cook (something) in a microwave oven.

  2. 2

    slangTo provide minimal preparation for implementation, deeming full or extensive preparation as unnecessary.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate microwave?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of microwave: MW, micro.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Microwave in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchmicro-onde (electromagnetic wave), micro-ondes (ellipsis of microwave oven – see also microwave…), micro-onder (cook in a microwave oven)
GermanMikrowelle (electromagnetic wave), but see in der Mikrowelle aufwärmen (cook in a microwave oven)
Portuguesemicro-onda (electromagnetic wave), micro-ondas (ellipsis of microwave oven – see also microwave…)
Spanishmicroonda (electromagnetic wave), microondas (ellipsis of microwave oven – see also microwave…), microondear (cook in a microwave oven)

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 microwave come from?

From micro- + wave.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after microwave