patter
/ˈpæt.ɚ/noun, verb
patter is spelled P-A-T-T-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, patter means “A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of patter is patters.
How many letters and syllables are in patter?
| Letters | 6: P-A-T-T-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,416th 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 patter?
Patter appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th 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 patter?
- UK /ˈpæt.ə/
- US /ˈpæt.ɚ/
Patter 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-patter.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-patter.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with patter?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as patter from its last stressed vowel (/ætəɹ/):
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 patter
- patters plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- pattering participle, present
- pattered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does patter mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A soft repeated sound, as of rain falling, or feet walking on a hard surface.
I could hear the patter of mice running about in the dark.
- 2
Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer, a stage magician, a sports commentator, or a salesperson with a slick style of selling.
sales patter
- 3
One who pats.
verb
- 1
To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.
The bullets pattered into the log-cabin walls.
- 2
To spatter; to sprinkle.
- 3
To speak glibly and rapidly, as does an auctioneer or a sports commentator.
- 4
obsoleteTo repeat the Lord's Prayer.
- 5
obsoleteTo pray.
- 6
obsoleteTo repeat hurriedly; to mutter.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Patter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Trippeln , Geplapper , plappern |
| Spanish | pisada , rollo, parloteo , parlotear , golpetear |
| Portuguese | jargão, gíria |
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 patter come from?
1610s, pat + -er (“frequentative (indicating repeated action)”), of (onomatopoeia) origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).