rudiment
ru·di·ment/ˈɹuːdɪmənt/noun, verb
rudiment is spelled R-U-D-I-M-E-N-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables (ru·di·ment). It appears about once in every 54 million words in written English, the 228,409th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, rudiment means “A fundamental principle or skill, especially in a field of learning” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rudiment is rudiments.
How many letters and syllables are in rudiment?
| Letters | 8: R-U-D-I-M-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: ru·di·ment |
| In writing | about once in every 54 million words; the 228,409th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is rudiment?
Rudiment appears about once in every 54 million words in written English, the 228,409th 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 rudiment?
- /ˈɹuːdɪmənt/
Rudiment has 3 syllables, split ru·di·ment in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-rudiment.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of rudiment
- rudiments plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- rudimenting participle, present
- rudimented participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rudiment mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A fundamental principle or skill, especially in a field of learning.
We'll be learning the rudiments of thermodynamics next week.
- 2
A form that lacks full or complex development.
I have the rudiments of an escape plan.
- 3
A body part that no longer has a function
- 4
In percussion, one of a selection of basic drum patterns learned as an exercise.
verb
- 1
To ground; to settle in first principles.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rudiment in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rudiment |
| German | Grundlage, Rudiment , Ansatz , Überbleibsel |
| Spanish | rudimento |
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 rudiment come from?
From Old French rudiment, from Latin rudimentum (“a first attempt, a beginning”), plural rudimenta (“the elements”), from rudis (“rude”); see rude. By surface analysis, rude + -i- + -ment.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).