sensational
/sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/adjective
sensational is spelled S-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N-A-L: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, sensational means “Of or pertaining to sensation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in sensational?
| Letters | 11: S-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.3 times per million words; the 14,509th 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 sensational?
Sensational appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th 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 sensational?
- /sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/
- /sɛnˈseɪʃnəl/
- /sən-/
Sensational has 4 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-sensational.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of sensational
- more sensational comparative
- most sensational superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sensational mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or pertaining to sensation.
sensational nerves
- 2
Piquing or arousing the senses.
- 3
Provoking a reaction of interest or excitement.
- 4
Exceptionally great.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sensational in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | sensacional |
| French | sensationnel |
| German | aufsehenerregend |
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 sensational come from?
From sensation + -al.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).