silent
sil·ent/ˈsaɪ̯lənt/adjective, noun
silent is spelled S-I-L-E-N-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables (sil·ent). It appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,288th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, silent means “Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in silent?
| Letters | 6: S-I-L-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: sil·ent |
| In writing | 28 times per million words; the 3,288th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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 silent?
Silent appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,288th 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 silent?
- /ˈsaɪ̯lənt/
- [ˈsaɪ̯lənt] ~ [ˈsaɪ̯ln̩t]
- /ˈsaːlənt/
Silent has 2 syllables, split sil·ent in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-silent.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with silent?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as silent.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: listen, enlist, tinsel.
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 silent
- silenter comparative
- more silent comparative
- silentest superlative
- most silent superlative
- silents plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does silent mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
What was formerly performed by fleets and armies, by invasions, sieges, and battles, has been of late accomplished by more silent methods.
- 2
Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.
- 3
Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed.
- 4
Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent.
The e is silent in fable.
- 5
Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.
- 6
With the sound turned off; usually on silent or in silent mode.
My phone was on silent.
- 7
Without audio capability.
The Magnavox Odyssey was a silent console.
- 8
Hidden, unseen.
a silent voter; a silent partner
noun
- 1
That which is silent; a time of silence.
- 2
A silent movie
noun
- 1
Acronym of syndrome of irreversible lithium-effectuated neurotoxicity.
noun
- 1
A member of the Silent Generation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Silent in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | silencieux, se taire , muet |
| German | still, schweigen , schweigsam , stumm , lautlos |
| Portuguese | silencioso , quieto , mudo , silêncio |
| Spanish | silencioso, callar, silente |
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 silent come from?
From Latin silēns (“silent”), present participle of sileō (“be silent”), from Proto-Indo-European *seyl- (“still, windless, quiet, slow”). Related to Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽 (anasilan, “to cease, grow still, be silent”), Old English sālnes (“silence”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).