suspense
/səˈspɛns/noun
suspense is spelled S-U-S-P-E-N-S-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, suspense means “The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of suspense is suspenses.
How many letters and syllables are in suspense?
| Letters | 8: S-U-S-P-E-N-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.4 times per million words; the 14,307th 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 suspense?
Suspense appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th 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 suspense?
- /səˈspɛns/
Suspense 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: En-us-suspense.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of suspense
- suspenses plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does suspense mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time.
- 2
The pleasurable emotion of anticipation and excitement regarding the outcome or climax of a book, film etc.
- 3
The unpleasant emotion of anxiety or apprehension in an uncertain situation.
- 4
A temporary cessation of one's right; suspension, as when the rent or other profits of land cease by unity of possession of land and rent.
- 5
USA deadline.
She sent us that assignment with a suspense of noon tomorrow.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteHeld or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding.
- 2
obsoleteExpressing, or proceeding from, suspense or doubt.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Suspense in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | suspension , suspense , angoisse, anxiété, appréhension |
| German | Hängen, Aussetzen, (vorübegehende) Unterbrechung , Spannung, (freudige) Erwartung |
| Spanish | suspensión , suspense, suspenso , angustia |
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 suspense come from?
From Middle English suspense, suspence, from Anglo-Norman suspens (as in en suspens) and Old French suspens, from Latin suspēnsus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).