serial
/ˈsɪɹ.i.əl/adjective, noun, verb
serial is spelled S-E-R-I-A-L: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,838th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “cereal vs serial” about 50 times a month (Google, United States). As an adjective, serial means “Having to do with or arranged in a series” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in serial?
| Letters | 6: S-E-R-I-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 17 times per million words; the 4,838th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Sounds like | |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is serial?
Serial appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,838th 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 serial?
- UK /ˈsɪə.ɹɪ.əl/
- US /ˈsɪɹ.i.əl/
Serial 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-au-serial.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with serial
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sounds like: cereal (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with serial?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as serial from its last stressed vowel (/ɪɹiəl/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: sailer, relais, realis, serail.
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 serial
- serials plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- serialing US, participle, present
- serialling UK, participle, present
- serialed US, participle, past
- serialled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does serial mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having to do with or arranged in a series.
- 2
Who performs a specified action or course of action repeatedly or regularly.
The serial killer had a string of victims across seven states.
- 3
Published or produced in installments.
- 4
Of or relating to a grammatical aspect relating to an action that is habitual and ongoing.
noun
- 1
A literary or dramatic work, such as a radio or television programme, published in installments, often numbered and without a specified end.
- 2
A publication issued in successive parts, often numbered and with no predetermined end.
- 3
slangA serial number, esp. one required to activate software.
Go to these sites for serials, cracks and keygens.
- 4
UKA unit of police officers equipped with shields to tackle a riot.
verb
- 1
to assign a serial number to (especially of aircraft)
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate serial?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of serial: ser, ser..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Serial in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Serien-, seriell |
| Portuguese | serial , seriado , série, folhetim |
| Spanish | en serie, serial |
| French | feuilleton |
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 serial come from?
Formed as series + -al, on model of Latin seriālis, from seriēs + -ālis. Cognate to Italian seriale. First use appears c. 1823. See cite below.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).