oracle
/ˈɔɹəkəl/noun
oracle is spelled O-R-A-C-L-E: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 5.0 times per million words in written English, the 11,198th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, oracle means “A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of oracle is oracles.
How many letters and syllables are in oracle?
| Letters | 6: O-R-A-C-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.0 times per million words; the 11,198th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like |
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 oracle?
Oracle appears 5.0 times per million words in written English, the 11,198th 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 oracle?
- /ˈɔɹəkəl/
- /ˈɒɹəkəl/
Oracle 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: En-us-oracle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with oracle
Sounds like: auricle (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of oracle
- oracles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- oracling participle, present
- oracled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does oracle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
- 2
A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.
- 3
A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
- 4
archaicSomething said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration.
- 5
A person considered to be a source of wisdom.
a literary oracle
- 6
A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
- 7
A fortune-teller.
- 8
One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo utter oracles or prophecies.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Oracle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
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 oracle come from?
From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).