premature
/ˌpɹi.məˈtʊɹ/adjective, noun
premature is spelled P-R-E-M-A-T-U-R-E: 9 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 an adjective, premature means “Occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in premature?
| Letters | 9: P-R-E-M-A-T-U-R-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 |
| 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 premature?
Premature 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 premature?
- UK /ˌpɹɛ.məˈtjʊə/
- UK /ˈpɹɛ.mə.tjə/
- US /ˌpɹi.məˈtʊɹ/
Premature 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-premature.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with premature?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as premature from its last stressed vowel (/ʊɹ/):
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 premature
- more premature comparative
- most premature superlative
- prematures plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does premature mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived.
a premature birth
- 2
Taking place earlier than anticipated, prepared for, or desired.
- 3
informalSuffering from premature ejaculation.
noun
- 1
An infant born prematurely.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Premature in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prématuré |
| German | frühreif , vorzeitig, verfrüht |
| Portuguese | prematuro |
| Spanish | prematuro |
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 premature come from?
From Latin praemātūrus, equivalent to pre- + mature. First use appears c. 1440 in a translation of Palladius's De Re Rustica.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).