stylus
/ˈstaɪ.ləs/noun
stylus is spelled S-T-Y-L-U-S: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, stylus means “An ancient writing implement consisting of a small rod with a pointed end for scratching letters on clay, wax-covered tablets or other surfaces, and…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of stylus is styli or styluses.
How many letters and syllables are in stylus?
| Letters | 6: S-T-Y-L-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,214th 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 stylus?
Stylus appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th 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 stylus?
- /ˈstaɪ.ləs/
Stylus 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-stylus.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-stylus.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of stylus
- styli plural
- styluses plural
- stilus
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does stylus mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An ancient writing implement consisting of a small rod with a pointed end for scratching letters on clay, wax-covered tablets or other surfaces, and a blunt end for obliterating them.
- 2
A small implement with a pointed end used for engraving and tracing.
- 3
A small device resembling a pen used to input handwritten text or drawings directly into an electronic device with a touch-sensitive screen.
- 4
A hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a mimeograph machine.
- 5
A hard point, typically of diamond or sapphire, following a groove in a phonograph and transmitting the recorded sound for reproduction.
- 6
A pointed device formerly used to produce a groove in a record when recording sound.
- 7
A tool for making small dots on a piece of heavy paper, used to produce Braille writing for the blind by hand.
- 8
Synonym of style.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Stylus in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | stylet, style , saphir , poinçon |
| German | Schreibgriffel, Schreibspitze, Stilus , Eingabestift, Stylus, Touchpen |
| Portuguese | estilo, estilete , safira, agulha , punção |
| Spanish | estilo, estilete , lápiz digital, lápiz óptico |
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 stylus come from?
Borrowed from Latin stylus (“a stake or pale”). Probably not directly related to Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, “a pillar”). Doublet of style.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).