perfect
per·fect/ˈpɝ.fɪkt/adjective, noun, verb
perfect is spelled P-E-R-F-E-C-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables (per·fect). It appears 158 times per million words in written English, the 638th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, perfect means “Fitting its definition precisely” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in perfect?
| Letters | 7: P-E-R-F-E-C-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: per·fect |
| In writing | 158 times per million words; the 638th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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 perfect?
Perfect appears 158 times per million words in written English, the 638th 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 perfect?
- UK /ˈpɜː.fɪkt/
- UK /-fɛkt/
- US /ˈpɝ.fɪkt/
As a verb (“To make perfect; to improve or hone”): /pəˈfɛkt/, /pɚˈfɛkt/, /pəˈfekt/.
Perfect has 2 syllables, split per·fect in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-perfect-adj.ogg, En-us-perfect-verb.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with perfect?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as perfect from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹfɪkt/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: prefect.
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 perfect
- perfecter comparative
- more perfect comparative
- perfectest superlative
- most perfect superlative
- pf.
- poifect
- perfects plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- perfecting participle, present
- perfected participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does perfect mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Fitting its definition precisely.
a perfect circle
- 2
Having all of its parts in harmony with a common purpose.
That bucket with the hole in the bottom is a poor bucket, but it is perfect for watering plants.
- 3
Without fault or mistake; without flaw, of supreme quality.
The gymnast performed a perfect somersault.
- 4
Exact, correctly reflecting the original in all aspects.
The expert forger made a perfect copy of the victim's driver's license
- 5
Having thoroughly learned or memorized a part.
- 6
Having thoroughly learned or memorized a lesson; of a lesson: having been thoroughly learned or memorized.
Practice makes perfect.
- 7
obsoleteFully trained or very knowledgeable; highly skilled
- 8
Excellent and delightful in all respects.
a perfect day
noun
- 1
The perfect tense, or a form in that tense.
- 2
A perfect score; the achievement of finishing a stage or task with no mistakes.
- 3
A leader of the Cathar movement.
verb
- 1
To make perfect; to improve or hone.
I am going to perfect this article.
- 2
To take an action, usually the filing of a document in the correct venue, that secures a legal right.
perfect an appeal
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate perfect?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of perfect: perf, pf..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Perfect in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | parfait , perfectionner, parfaire |
| German | perfekt, vollkommen , vollenden, perfektionieren, vervollkommnen |
| Portuguese | perfeito , aperfeiçoar |
| Spanish | perfecto , perfeccionar, dar cabo, llevar a cabo, llevar al cabo |
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 perfect come from?
From Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit (modern: parfait), from Latin perfectus, perfect passive participle of perficere (“to finish”), from per- (“through, thorough”) + facere (“to do, to make”). The spelling was modified in the 15th century to conform to its Latin etymon. Doublet of parfait, perfecto, and perfectus. Displaced native Old English fulfremed.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).