rudder
rudd·er/ˈɹʌdɚ/noun
rudder is spelled R-U-D-D-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (rudd·er). It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, rudder means “An underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rudder is rudders.
How many letters and syllables are in rudder?
| Letters | 6: R-U-D-D-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: rudd·er |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd 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 rudder?
Rudder appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd 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 rudder?
- UK /ˈɹʌdəː/
- UK [ˈɹʌdəː]
- US /ˈɹʌdɚ/
Rudder has 2 syllables, split rudd·er in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-rudder.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rudder?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rudder from its last stressed vowel (/ʌdəɹ/):
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 rudder
- rudders plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rudder mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An underwater vane used to steer a vessel. The rudder is controlled by means of a wheel, tiller or other apparatus (modern vessels can be controlled even with a joystick or an autopilot).
- 2
A control surface on the vertical stabilizer of a fixed-wing aircraft or an autogyro. On some craft, the entire vertical stabilizer comprises the rudder. The rudder is controlled by foot-operated control pedals.
- 3
A riddle or sieve.
- 4
That which resembles a rudder as a guide or governor; that which guides or governs the course.
- 5
The tail of an otter.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rudder in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | gouvernail, safran , gouverne |
| German | Ruder, Steuer, Steuerruder |
| Portuguese | leme |
| Spanish | timón, gobernalle |
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.