smiley
/ˈsmaɪli/adjective, noun
smiley is spelled S-M-I-L-E-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, smiley means “Cheerful and happy; smiling” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in smiley?
| Letters | 6: S-M-I-L-E-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,122nd 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 smiley?
Smiley appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd 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 smiley?
- /ˈsmaɪli/
Smiley 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: En-au-smiley.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of smiley
- smilier comparative
- smiliest superlative
- smilie
- smily
- smileys plural
- smilies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does smiley mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Cheerful and happy; smiling.
have a smiley demeanor
- 2
slangHaving one's throat slit from side to side.
noun
- 1
A simplified representation of a smiling face.
- 2
A sequence of text characters used to represent a mood, especially :) or :-) or other depictions of smiling.
How do you type the angry smiley?
- 3
rareAn improvised street weapon consisting of a length of chain with padlocks and other heavy objects affixed to one end.
- 4
A roasted sheep's head.
- 5
A piercing worn in the upper frenulum (upper lip).
noun
- 1
Synonym of Samoyed (a breed of dog)
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Smiley in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | sonriente , emoticono |
| French | émoticône, smiley |
| German | Emoticon, Smiley |
| Portuguese | smiley |
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 smiley come from?
From smile + -y (adjectival suffix). The noun is from the adjective, after smiley face.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).