molecule
mol·e·cule/ˈmɑ.lɪ.kjul/noun
molecule is spelled M-O-L-E-C-U-L-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (mol·e·cule). It appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, molecule means “The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of molecule is molecules or moleculae.
How many letters and syllables are in molecule?
| Letters | 8: M-O-L-E-C-U-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: mol·e·cule |
| In writing | 4.7 times per million words; the 11,685th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is molecule?
Molecule appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th 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 molecule?
- UK /ˈmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/
- UK /ˈmɒl.ə.kjuːl/
- US /ˈmɑ.lɪ.kjul/
Molecule has 3 syllables, split mol·e·cule in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-molecule.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of molecule
- molecules plural
- moleculae plural
- moleculæ plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does molecule mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.
Hydrogen chloride is a diatomic molecule, consisting of a hydrogen atom and a chlorine atom.
- 2
A tiny amount.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate molecule?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of molecule: mol..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Molecule in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense group of atoms held together by chemical bonds:
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 molecule come from?
Borrowed from French molécule, from New Latin molecula (“a molecule”), diminutive of Latin moles (“a mass”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).