paper
pa·per/ˈpeɪ̯.pəɹ/noun, adjective, verb
paper is spelled P-A-P-E-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (pa·per). It appears 117 times per million words in written English, the 904th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, paper means “A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of paper is papers.
How many letters and syllables are in paper?
| Letters | 5: P-A-P-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pa·per |
| In writing | 117 times per million words; the 904th 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; 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 paper?
Paper appears 117 times per million words in written English, the 904th 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 paper?
- UK /ˈpeɪ̯.pə/
- US /ˈpeɪ̯.pəɹ/
- US [ˈpʰeɪ̯.pɚ]
Paper has 2 syllables, split pa·per in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-paper.ogg, En-us-paper.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with paper?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as paper from its last stressed vowel (/eɪpəɹ/):
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 paper
- papers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- papering participle, present
- papered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does paper mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
Draw on the paper! Not on the walls!
- 2
Ellipsis of newspaper; anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine).
Read all about it in this morning's paper!
- 3
Ellipsis of wallpaper.
The paperhangers had just finished hanging the paper in the dining room when the interior decorator walked in and exclaimed that it was the wrong color.
- 4
Ellipsis of wrapping paper.
In those days, you asked the butcher for a block of cheese, and he wrapped it up in paper for you.
- 5
An open hand (a handshape resembling a sheet of paper), that beats rock and loses to scissors. It loses to lizard and beats Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.
- 6
A written document, generally shorter than a book; usually written as a school assignment or a government report.
Near-synonym: report
- 7
A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal (as a journal article or the manuscript for one) or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting (such as a conference, workshop, or symposium).
Their team published a paper in the leading journal of their field, and its widespread impact elevated the reputation of their university department.
- 8
UKA set of examination questions to be answered at one session.
adjective
- 1
Made of paper.
- 2
Insubstantial (from the weakness of common paper).
paper gangster
- 3
Planned (from plans being drawn up on paper).
paper engine, rocket
- 4
Having a title that is merely official, or given by courtesy or convention.
a paper lord
verb
- 1
To apply paper to.
to paper the hallway walls
- 2
To document; to memorialize.
After they reached an agreement, their staffs papered it up.
- 3
To fill (a theatre or other paid event) with complimentary seats.
- 4
To submit official papers to (a law court, etc.).
- 5
To give public notice (typically by displaying posters) that a person is wanted by the police or other authority.
- 6
To sandpaper.
- 7
To enfold in paper.
- 8
To paste the endpapers and flyleaves at the beginning and end of a book before fitting it into its covers.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Paper in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | papier , feuille , article , rédaction , cours , en papier |
| German | Papier , Artikel , Referat , Papierbecher, etc , Dokument |
| Portuguese | papel , de papel , artigo , empapelar |
| Spanish | papel , papel académico, ponencia, escrito, escripto, paper |
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 paper come from?
From Middle English paper, from Anglo-Norman paper, from Old Catalan paper, borrowed from Latin papȳrus (and given the Catalan suffix -er), from Ancient Greek πάπυρος (pápuros).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).