multiplication
/ˌmʌltɪplɪˈkeɪʃən/noun
multiplication is spelled M-U-L-T-I-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N: 14 letters and 5 syllables. It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,629th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, multiplication means “The process of computing the sum of an addition with one and the same number a specified number of times (i.e. 4 times 5 = [0 +] 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20)…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of multiplication is multiplications.
How many letters and syllables are in multiplication?
| Letters | 14: M-U-L-T-I-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,629th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 multiplication?
Multiplication appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,629th 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 multiplication?
- /ˌmʌltɪplɪˈkeɪʃən/
Multiplication has 5 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-multiplication.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of multiplication
- multiplications plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does multiplication mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The process of computing the sum of an addition with one and the same number a specified number of times (i.e. 4 times 5 = [0 +] 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20) or any other analogous binary operation that combines other mathematical objects.
- 2
A calculation involving multiplication.
- 3
The process of multiplying or increasing in number; increase.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Multiplication in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | multiplication |
| German | Multiplikation |
| Portuguese | multiplicação , proliferação |
| Spanish | multiplicación |
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 multiplication come from?
Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French multiplicacion, from Latin multiplicatio, multiplicationem; ~equivalent to multiplicate + -ion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).