neutral
/ˈnuː.tɹəl/adjective, noun
neutral is spelled N-E-U-T-R-A-L: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,752nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, neutral means “Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in neutral?
| Letters | 7: N-E-U-T-R-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 17 times per million words; the 4,752nd 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 neutral?
Neutral appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,752nd 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 neutral?
- UK /ˈnjuː.tɹəl/
- US /ˈnuː.tɹəl/
Neutral 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-neutral.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of neutral
- more neutral comparative
- most neutral superlative
- neutrals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does neutral mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not taking sides in a conflict such as war; nonaligned.
- 2
Favoring neither the supporting nor opposing viewpoint of a topic of debate; unbiased.
I am neutral regarding the issue of gay marriage.
- 3
Neither positive nor negative.
- 4
Not biased; viewing situations objectively in a way that is neither positive nor negative.
a neutral person
- 5
Neither beneficial nor harmful.
- 6
Having no sex; neuter.
- 7
Having no obvious colour; gray.
- 8
Neither positive nor negative; possessing no charge or equivalent positive and negative charge such that there is no imbalance.
noun
- 1
A nonaligned state, or a member of such a state.
- 2
A person who takes no side in a dispute.
- 3
An individual or entity serving as an arbitrator or adjudicator.
- 4
A neutral hue.
- 5
The position of a set of gears in which power cannot be transmitted to the drive mechanism.
Near-synonym: angel gear (humorous)
- 6
An electrical terminal or conductor which has zero or close to zero voltage with respect to the ground.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate neutral?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of neutral: N.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Neutral in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | neutre , asexué , point mort |
| German | neutral , geschlechtslos , Leerlauf, Leerlaufstellung , neutraler Staat , Neutraler |
| Portuguese | neutro , ponto morto |
| Spanish | neutral , punto muerto, punto neutral , neutro |
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 neutral come from?
From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. By surface analysis, neuter + -al.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).