optical
/ˈɑptɪkəl/adjective, noun
optical is spelled O-P-T-I-C-A-L: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,347th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, optical means “Of or relating to sight; visual” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in optical?
| Letters | 7: O-P-T-I-C-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 12 times per million words; the 6,347th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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 optical?
Optical appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,347th 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 optical?
- UK /ˈɒptɪkəl/
- US /ˈɑptɪkəl/
Optical has 3 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-optical.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with optical?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as optical (/ɑptɪkəl/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: capitol, topical.
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 optical
- more optical comparative
- most optical superlative
- opticals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does optical mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to sight; visual.
Strabismus is an optical defect.
- 2
Designed to assist or enhance sight
A microscope is an optical instrument.
- 3
Of or relating to optics.
Refraction is an optical effect.
- 4
Of or relating to visible light.
Optical telescopes don't work when it is cloudy.
- 5
Incorporating light-sensitive devices.
An optical switch opens the door automatically.
noun
- 1
Any special effect requiring laboratory work on the film.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Optical in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense designed to assist or enhance sight:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | optique |
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 optical come from?
From optic + -al.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).