smokescreen
/ˈsmoʊkˌskɹin/noun
smokescreen is spelled S-M-O-K-E-S-C-R-E-E-N: 11 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, smokescreen means “Smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover, as of troops in battle” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of smokescreen is smokescreens.
How many letters and syllables are in smokescreen?
| Letters | 11: S-M-O-K-E-S-C-R-E-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 47,633rd 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 smokescreen?
Smokescreen appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd 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 smokescreen?
- US /ˈsmoʊkˌskɹin/
Smokescreen 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-us-smokescreen.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with smokescreen
Also written: smoke-screen (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of smokescreen
- smokescreens plural
- smoke screen
- smoke-screen
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does smokescreen mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover, as of troops in battle.
- 2
Anything used metaphorically to conceal or distract.
All that talk is just a smokescreen to disguise the fact that he has nothing to say.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Smokescreen in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | écran de fumée, rideau de fumée |
| German | Nebelwand, Nebelvorhang, Nebelschleier, Deckmantel, Rauchschleier, Rauchvorhang |
| Portuguese | cortina de fumaça, cortina de fumo , fachada |
| Spanish | cortina de humo |
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 smokescreen come from?
From smoke + screen.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).