polygraph
/ˈpɒliɡɹæf/noun, verb
polygraph is spelled P-O-L-Y-G-R-A-P-H: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, polygraph means “A device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of polygraph is polygraphs.
How many letters and syllables are in polygraph?
| Letters | 9: P-O-L-Y-G-R-A-P-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,943rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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 polygraph?
Polygraph appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd 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 polygraph?
- /ˈpɒliɡɹæf/
- /ˈpɒliɡɹɑːf/
Polygraph 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-polygraph.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of polygraph
- polygraphs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- polygraphing participle, present
- polygraphed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does polygraph mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a series of questions is being posed to a subject, in an attempt to detect deception.
- 2
datedA mechanical instrument for multiplying copies of a writing, resembling multiple pantographs.
- 3
archaicA collection of different works, either by one or several authors.
- 4
A group of letters that represent a single phoneme.
- 5
Any group of letters treated as a single item.
- 6
An author who writes on many subjects.
- 7
A multidimensional directed graph.
verb
- 1
To administer a polygraph test to.
The FBI polygraphed the suspect but learned nothing because they already knew he was lying.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Polygraph in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense device to discern if a subject is lying:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | polygraphe, détecteur de mensonges |
| German | Lügendetektor |
| Portuguese | polígrafo |
| Spanish | polígrafo |
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 polygraph come from?
From poly- + -graph.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).