subprime
/ˈsʌb.pɹaɪm/adjective, noun
subprime is spelled S-U-B-P-R-I-M-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,336th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, subprime means “Less than prime; inferior” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in subprime?
| Letters | 8: S-U-B-P-R-I-M-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,336th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is subprime?
Subprime appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,336th 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 subprime?
- UK /ˈsʌb.pɹʌɪm/
- US /ˈsʌb.pɹaɪm/
Subprime has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with subprime
Also written: sub-prime (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of subprime
- subprimes plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does subprime mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Less than prime; inferior.
subprime beef
- 2
USDesignating a loan (typically at a greater than usual rate of interest) offered to a borrower who is not qualified for other loans (for example, because of a poor credit history).
- 3
USdatedDesignating a type of commercial lending rate, less than the prime rate, offered to desirable borrowers.
noun
- 1
A subprime loan.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does subprime come from?
From sub- + prime.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).