ratio
/ˈɹeɪ.ʃi.əʊ/noun, verb, interjection
ratio is spelled R-A-T-I-O: 5 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 23 times per million words in written English, the 3,814th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, ratio means “A number representing a comparison between two named things” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ratio is ratios; Wiktionary also lists rationes (rare).
How many letters and syllables are in ratio?
| Letters | 5: R-A-T-I-O |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 23 times per million words; the 3,814th 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 ratio?
Ratio appears 23 times per million words in written English, the 3,814th 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 ratio?
- UK /ˈɹeɪ.ʃi.əʊ/
- UK /ˈɹeɪ.ʃəʊ/
- /ˈɹeɪ.si.əʊ/
Ratio 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: En-us-ratio.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of ratio
- ratios plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- rationes plural, rare
- ratioing participle, present
- ratioed participle, past
- ratio'd participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ratio mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A number representing a comparison between two named things.
- 2
The relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient).
- 3
Ellipsis of ratio decidendi.
- 4
The number of comments to a post or other expression on social media relative to the number of likes; a high ratio suggests disagreement with the contents of the original post.
verb
- 1
To respond to a post or message on social media in a greater number than the number of likes the post receives, especially to condemn or mock the original poster.
The politician's post was quickly ratioed due to its controversial nature.
interjection
- 1
Indicates disagreement with a post the user disagrees with or dislikes.
L + ratio
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ratio in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rapport, ratio , raison |
| Portuguese | razão, rácio |
| Spanish | razón, cociente, relación, ratio |
| German | Verhältnis |
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 ratio come from?
Borrowed from Latin ratiō. Doublet of ration and reason.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).