probability
prob·a·bil·i·ty/ˌpɹɑ.bəˈbɪl.ə.ti/noun
probability is spelled P-R-O-B-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y: 11 letters and 5 syllables (prob·a·bil·i·ty). It appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 6,884th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, probability means “The state of being probable” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of probability is probabilities.
How many letters and syllables are in probability?
| Letters | 11: P-R-O-B-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5: prob·a·bil·i·ty |
| In writing | 10 times per million words; the 6,884th 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 probability?
Probability appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 6,884th 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 probability?
- UK /ˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/
- US /ˌpɹɑ.bəˈbɪl.ə.ti/
- US [ˌpɹɑ.bəˈbɪl.ə.ɾi]
Probability has 5 syllables, split prob·a·bil·i·ty in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-probability.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with probability?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as probability from its last stressed vowel (/ɪləti/):
- responsibility
- possibility
- capability
- accountability
- fertility
- sustainability
- eligibility
- instability
- vulnerability
- compatibility
- accessibility
- volatility
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 probability
- probabilities plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does probability mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The state of being probable.
- 2
An event that is likely to occur.
- 3
The relative likelihood of an event happening.
- 4
A number, between 0 and 1, expressing the precise likelihood of an event happening.
The probability of an event A occurring is denoted P(A).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate probability?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of probability: p, proba.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Probability in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense state of being probable; likelihood:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | probabilité |
| German | Wahrscheinlichkeit |
| Portuguese | probabilidade |
| Spanish | probabilidad |
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 probability come from?
From Middle French probabilité, from Latin probābilitās (“probability, credibility”), from probābilis (“probable, credible”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).