operational
/ˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃə.nəl/adjective
operational is spelled O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L: 11 letters and 5 syllables. It appears 16 times per million words in written English, the 5,025th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, operational means “Of or relating to operations, especially military operations” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in operational?
| Letters | 11: O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 16 times per million words; the 5,025th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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 operational?
Operational appears 16 times per million words in written English, the 5,025th 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 operational?
- UK /ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃə.nəl/
- US /ˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃə.nəl/
- US /ˌɑ.pɚˈeɪ.ʃə.nəl/
Operational 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)-Back_ache-operational.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-operational.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with operational?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as operational from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃənəl/):
- educational
- occupational
- computational
- rotational
- informational
- observational
- congregational
- foundational
- aspirational
- improvisational
- conformational
- locational
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 operational
- more operational comparative
- most operational superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does operational mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to operations, especially military operations.
- 2
Functioning and ready for use.
- 3
Effective or operative.
- 4
Determined by means of practical measures.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Operational in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Einsatz-, Operations- , betriebsbereit, funktionsfähig, einsatzfähig |
| Spanish | operacional , operatorio |
| French | opérationnel |
| Portuguese | operacional |
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 operational come from?
From operation + -al.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).