subpar
/səbˈpɑɹ/adjective
subpar is spelled S-U-B-P-A-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, subpar means “Of less than a traditional or accepted standard” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in subpar?
| Letters | 6: S-U-B-P-A-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th 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 subpar?
Subpar appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th 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 subpar?
- UK /sʌbˈpɑː/
- US /səbˈpɑɹ/
- US [səbˈpʰɑɹ]
Subpar 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).
Words people confuse with subpar
Also written: sub-par (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with subpar?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as subpar from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹ/):
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).
What does subpar mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of less than a traditional or accepted standard.
Bob's grasp of English was subpar.
- 2
Synonym of below par.
- 3
Trading at a price below face value.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Subpar in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of less than a traditional or accepted standard:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | médiocre, en dessous de la moyenne |
| Spanish | por debajo de la media, subpar, mediocre, deficiente, insatisfactorio, inferior |
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 subpar come from?
From sub- + par.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).