stealth
/stɛlθ/noun, verb, adjective
stealth is spelled S-T-E-A-L-T-H: 7 letters and one syllable. It appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, stealth means “The attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy, or in such a way that the actions are unnoticed or difficult to detect by others” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of stealth is stealths.
How many letters and syllables are in stealth?
| Letters | 7: S-T-E-A-L-T-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.4 times per million words; the 14,307th 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 stealth?
Stealth appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th 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 stealth?
- /stɛlθ/
Stealth has one syllable (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-stealth.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of stealth
- stealths plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- stealthing participle, present
- stealthed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does stealth mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy, or in such a way that the actions are unnoticed or difficult to detect by others.
- 2
archaicAn act of secrecy, especially one involving thievery.
verb
- 1
To conceal or infiltrate through the use of stealth.
- 2
slangTo subject (someone) to stealthing (sexual intercourse without a condom through deception, for example removing the condom mid-act).
adjective
- 1
Surreptitious; secret; not openly acknowledged.
- 2
Having properties that diminish radar signatures.
- 3
Hiding one's transgender status (in general or in specific areas of one's life, e.g. at work) after transition.
go stealth; be stealth; live stealth
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Stealth in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | furtivité, discrétion |
| German | Heimlichkeit |
| Portuguese | furtividade, sorrateiro |
| Spanish | sigilo, cautela |
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 stealth come from?
From Middle English stelthe, from Old English stǣlþ, from Proto-Germanic *stēliþō, to Proto-Germanic *stelaną (“to steal, to sneak”) + *-iþō, equivalent to steal + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Compare Old English stalu (“theft, stealth”), Old High German stāla (“theft”), German Diebstahl (“theft”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).