splinter
splin·ter/ˈsplɪn.tə/noun, verb
splinter is spelled S-P-L-I-N-T-E-R: 8 letters and 2 syllables (splin·ter). It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,101st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, splinter means “A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of splinter is splinters.
How many letters and syllables are in splinter?
| Letters | 8: S-P-L-I-N-T-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: splin·ter |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 20,101st 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; 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 splinter?
Splinter appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,101st 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 splinter?
- UK /ˈsplɪn.tə/
- UK [ˈspl̥ɪn.tʰə]
- /ˈsplɪn.tɚ/
Splinter has 2 syllables, split splin·ter in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-splinter.ogg, En-us-splinter.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with splinter?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as splinter from its last stressed vowel (/ɪntə/, British pronunciation):
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 splinter
- splinters plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- splintering participle, present
- splintered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does splinter mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A long, sharp fragment of material, often wood.
- 2
A small such fragment that gets embedded in the flesh.
- 3
A group that formed by splitting off from a larger membership.
- 4
A double-jump bid which indicates shortage in the bid suit.
- 5
A fragment of a component word in a blend.
verb
- 1
To come apart into long sharp fragments.
The tall tree splintered during the storm.
- 2
To cause to break apart into long sharp fragments.
His third kick splintered the door.
- 3
To break, or cause to break, into factions.
The government splintered when the coalition members could not agree.
- 4
To fasten or confine with splinters, or splints, as a broken limb.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Splinter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | éclat, esquille, écharde , faction , broyer |
| German | Splitter, Splinter, Schiefer, Spreißel , Splittergruppe , zersplittern |
| Portuguese | farpa , facção , esfarpar |
| Spanish | astilla, esquirla , astillarse , astillar |
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 splinter come from?
From Middle English splenter, splinter, from Middle Dutch splinter, equivalent to splint + -er.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).