prolix
/pɹoʊˈlɪks/adjective, verb
prolix is spelled P-R-O-L-I-X: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 143,405th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, prolix means “Tediously lengthy; dwelling on trivial details” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in prolix?
| Letters | 6: P-R-O-L-I-X |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 22 million words; the 143,405th 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 prolix?
Prolix appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 143,405th 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 prolix?
- US /pɹoʊˈlɪks/
- UK /ˈpɹəʊ.lɪks/
Prolix has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-prolix.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with prolix?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as prolix from its last stressed vowel (/ɪks/):
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 prolix
- more prolix comparative
- most prolix superlative
- prolixes present, singular, he/she/it
- prolixing participle, present
- prolixed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does prolix mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Tediously lengthy; dwelling on trivial details.
- 2
obsoleteLong; having great length.
verb
- 1
rareTo be tediously lengthy.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Prolix in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense tediously lengthy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prolixe, fastidieux, verbeux, phraseur, raseur |
| German | weitschweifig |
| Portuguese | prolixo |
| Spanish | prolijo, fastidioso, chicharra |
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 prolix come from?
From Old French prolixe, from Latin prōlixus (“stretched out; courteous, favorable”). The verb is derived from the adjective.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).