motif
/moʊˈtiːf/noun
motif is spelled M-O-T-I-F: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “motif vs motive” about 170 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, motif means “A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of motif is motifs.
How many letters and syllables are in motif?
| Letters | 5: M-O-T-I-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,122nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people 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); 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 motif?
Motif appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd 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 motif?
- /moʊˈtiːf/
Motif 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: En-us-motif.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with motif
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: motive.
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of motif
- motifs plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does motif mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.
See how the artist repeats the scroll motif throughout the work?
- 2
A short melodic or lyrical passage that is repeated in several parts of a work.
- 3
A decorative figure that is repeated in a design or pattern.
- 4
A decorative appliqué design or figure, as of lace or velvet, used in trimming.
- 5
The physical object or objects repeated at each point of a lattice. Usually atoms or molecules.
- 6
A basic element of a move in terms of why the piece moves and how it supports the fulfilment of a stipulation.
- 7
In a nucleotide or aminoacid sequence, pattern that is widespread and has, or is conjectured to have, a biological significance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Motif in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense recurring or dominant element; a theme:
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 motif come from?
From French motif (1848), with the meaning of "main idea or theme". Doublet of motive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).