saunter
/ˈsɔntɚ/verb, noun
saunter is spelled S-A-U-N-T-E-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 72,332nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, saunter means “To stroll, or walk at a leisurely pace” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in saunter?
| Letters | 7: S-A-U-N-T-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 72,332nd 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 saunter?
Saunter appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 72,332nd 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 saunter?
- US /ˈsɔntɚ/
- UK /ˈsɔːntə/
- /ˈsɑntɚ/
Saunter has 2 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)-Vealhurl-saunter.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of saunter
- saunters present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- sauntering participle, present
- sauntered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does saunter mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To stroll, or walk at a leisurely pace.
One could lie under elm trees in a lawn, or saunter in meadows by the side of a stream.
noun
- 1
A leisurely walk or stroll.
- 2
A leisurely, easy pace.
walking at a saunter
- 3
obsoleteA place for sauntering or strolling.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Saunter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | flâner , flânerie |
| German | müßig umherschlendern, bummeln , Umherschlendern, gemächliche Wanderung, Schlendergang |
| Portuguese | passear , passeio |
| Spanish | pasear , paseo |
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 saunter come from?
Etymology unclear. Attested in the sense “to stroll” from the 1660s; noun sense “a stroll” attested 1828. Likely from earlier term meaning “to muse”, late 15th century, from late Middle English santren, of unknown origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).