synapse
/ˈsɪnæps/noun, verb
synapse is spelled S-Y-N-A-P-S-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,863rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, synapse means “The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve impulses pass” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of synapse is synapses.
How many letters and syllables are in synapse?
| Letters | 7: S-Y-N-A-P-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,863rd 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 synapse?
Synapse appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,863rd 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 synapse?
- /ˈsɪnæps/
- /ˈsaɪnæps/
- /sɪˈnæps/
Synapse 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-synapse.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-synapse2.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-synapse3.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of synapse
- synapses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- synapsing participle, present
- synapsed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does synapse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve impulses pass.
verb
- 1
To form a synapse.
- 2
To undergo synapsis.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Synapse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense junction between neurons:
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 synapse come from?
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σύναψις (súnapsis, “conjunction”), from συνάπτω (sunáptō, “to clasp”). Introduced by neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).