milestone
/ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn/noun, verb
milestone is spelled M-I-L-E-S-T-O-N-E: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, milestone means “A stone milepost (or by extension in other materials), one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of milestone is milestones.
How many letters and syllables are in milestone?
| Letters | 9: M-I-L-E-S-T-O-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.1 times per million words; the 11,015th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is milestone?
Milestone appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th 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 milestone?
- US /ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn/
- UK /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/
Milestone has 2 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-milestone.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with milestone?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as milestone (/aɪlstoʊn/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: limestone.
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 milestone
- milestones plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- milestoning participle, present
- milestoned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does milestone mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A stone milepost (or by extension in other materials), one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median.
- 2
An important event in a person's life or career, in the history of a nation, in the life of some project, etc.
verb
- 1
To place milestones along (a road, etc.).
- 2
To plan out a project as a series of major steps.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Milestone in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | borne, borne kilométrique , jalon |
| German | Kilometerstein, Meilenstein, Postmeilensäule , Etappenziel, Markstein |
| Portuguese | marco miliário, marco miliar , marco |
| Spanish | hito, mojón, cipo, hita, fito (disused), borna |
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 milestone come from?
From mile + stone. Compare Dutch mijlsteen (“milestone”), German Low German Mielensteen (“milestone”), German Meilenstein (“milestone”), Swedish milsten (“milestone”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).