surplus
sur·plus/ˈsɝˌplʌs/noun, adjective, verb
surplus is spelled S-U-R-P-L-U-S: 7 letters and 2 syllables (sur·plus). It appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, surplus means “That which remains when use or need is satisfied, or when a limit is reached; excess; overplus; overage” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of surplus is surpluses or surplusses.
How many letters and syllables are in surplus?
| Letters | 7: S-U-R-P-L-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: sur·plus |
| In writing | 7.4 times per million words; the 8,669th 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 surplus?
Surplus appears 7.4 times per million words in written English, the 8,669th 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 surplus?
- US /ˈsɝˌplʌs/
- US /ˈsɝpləs/
- UK /ˈsɜːpləs/
Surplus has 2 syllables, split sur·plus in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-surplus.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of surplus
- surpluses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- surplusses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- surplusing participle, present
- surplussing participle, present
- surplused participle, past
- surplussed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does surplus mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
That which remains when use or need is satisfied, or when a limit is reached; excess; overplus; overage.
- 2
Specifically, an amount in the public treasury at any time greater than is required for the ordinary purposes of the government.
- 3
The remainder of a fund appropriated for a particular purpose.
- 4
assets left after liabilities and debts, including capital stock have been deducted.
adjective
- 1
Being or constituting a surplus; more than sufficient.
surplus population
verb
- 1
To treat as surplus to requirements; to sell off or dismiss from employment, etc.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Surplus in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | surplus , excédentaire |
| German | Überschuss, Rest |
| Portuguese | excesso, excedente , superávit |
| Spanish | sobra, excedente, exceso, residuo, superávit , sobrante |
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 surplus come from?
From Middle English surplus, from Middle French surplus. Compare French surplus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).