social
/ˈsoʊ.ʃəl/adjective, noun
social is spelled S-O-C-I-A-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 263 times per million words in written English, the 369th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, social means “Being extroverted or outgoing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in social?
| Letters | 6: S-O-C-I-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 263 times per million words; the 369th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is social?
Social appears 263 times per million words in written English, the 369th 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 social?
- UK /ˈsəʊ.ʃəl/
- US /ˈsoʊ.ʃəl/
Social 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-social.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with social
Also written: social security, social security number, social studies.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with social?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as social from its last stressed vowel (/oʊʃəl/):
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 social
- more social comparative
- most social superlative
- socials plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does social mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Being extroverted or outgoing.
James is a very social guy; he knows lots of people.
- 2
Of or relating to society.
Teresa feels uncomfortable in certain social situations.
- 3
Relating to social media or social networks.
social gaming
- 4
rareRelating to a nation's allies.
the Social War
- 5
Cooperating or growing in groups.
a social insect
noun
- 1
A festive gathering to foster introductions.
They organized a social at the dance club to help people get to know one another.
- 2
A dance held to raise money, often held for a couple to be married.
- 3
UKcolloquialEllipsis of social security.
Fred hated going down to the social to sign on.
- 4
UScolloquialEllipsis of social security number.
What's your social? [asked so that the asker can look up your account details]
- 5
IrelanddatedA dinner dance event, usually held annually by a company or sporting club.
- 6
CanadaEllipsis of social studies.
- 7
informalEllipsis of social media.
- 8
informalA social media account; the username or handle thereof, or a link thereto.
Also check out some other experts in this topic – their socials are in the pinned comment below.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate social?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of social: Soc., soc..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Social in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | kontaktfreudig, gesellig, leutselig, extrovertiert, umgänglich , sozial |
| Portuguese | social |
| French | social |
| Spanish | social |
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.