submarine
/sʌb.məˈɹiːn/adjective, noun, verb
submarine is spelled S-U-B-M-A-R-I-N-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, submarine means “Being, relating to, or made for use underwater, especially beneath the sea” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in submarine?
| Letters | 9: S-U-B-M-A-R-I-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.5 times per million words; the 9,463rd 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 submarine?
Submarine appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd 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 submarine?
- UK /sʌb.məˈɹiːn/
- /sʊb.məˈɹiːn/
- /sʌb.məˈɾin/
Submarine has 3 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)-Vealhurl-submarine.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with submarine
Also written: submarine sandwich.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with submarine?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as submarine from its last stressed vowel (/in/, 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 submarine
- sub-marine rare
- submarines plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- submarining participle, present
- submarined participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does submarine mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Being, relating to, or made for use underwater, especially beneath the sea.
Near-synonym: submerged (synonymous in "being underwater" sense)
- 2
Hidden or undisclosed.
a submarine patent
- 3
Of a pitch, thrown with the hand lower than the elbow.
noun
- 1
A boat that can go underwater.
- 2
Alternative form of submarine sandwich.
- 3
A pitch delivered with an underhand motion.
- 4
Any submarine plant or animal.
- 5
informalA stowaway on a seagoing vessel.
verb
- 1
To operate or serve on a submarine.
- 2
To torpedo; to destroy with a sudden sneak attack.
- 3
To sink or submerge oneself.
- 4
To slide forwards underneath one's seat belt (during a crash or sudden stop).
The seatback should always be up while driving so that the occupant doesn't submarine and potentially suffer severe internal injury.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate submarine?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of submarine: sub.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Submarine in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sous-marin |
| German | submarin, unterseeisch, untermeerisch, unterwasser- , Unterseeboot, U-Boot |
| Portuguese | submarino |
| Spanish | submarino , sumergible, ictíneo, batiscafo , sándwich submarino, emparedado submarino |
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 submarine come from?
From sub- + marine.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).