quarterback
/ˈkwɔːtəbak/noun, verb
quarterback is spelled Q-U-A-R-T-E-R-B-A-C-K: 11 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 8.9 times per million words in written English, the 7,672nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, quarterback means “An offensive back whose primary job is to pass the ball in a play” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of quarterback is quarterbacks.
How many letters and syllables are in quarterback?
| Letters | 11: Q-U-A-R-T-E-R-B-A-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 8.9 times per million words; the 7,672nd 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 quarterback?
Quarterback appears 8.9 times per million words in written English, the 7,672nd 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 quarterback?
- /ˈkwɔːtəbak/
Quarterback 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)-Wodencafe-quarterback.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of quarterback
- quarterbacks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- quarterbacking participle, present
- quarterbacked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does quarterback mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An offensive back whose primary job is to pass the ball in a play.
- 2
An offensive back who receives the snap (hike) and then blocks the defense from crossing the line of scrimmage; a blocking back.
- 3
A position just behind the forwards, or one who plays this position.
verb
- 1
To play the position of quarterback.
- 2
To lead a team or group; to be primarily responsible for some group project or activity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate quarterback?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of quarterback: QB.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Quarterback in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense American football passing back:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | quart-arrière, quarterback |
| German | Quarterback |
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 quarterback come from?
From quarter + back, in reference to the position in front of the halfback position.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).