taciturn
/ˈtæs.ɪˌtɝn/adjective
taciturn is spelled T-A-C-I-T-U-R-N: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 61,481st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, taciturn means “Silent; temperamentally untalkative; disinclined to speak” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in taciturn?
| Letters | 8: T-A-C-I-T-U-R-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 61,481st 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 taciturn?
Taciturn appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 61,481st 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 taciturn?
- UK /ˈtæsɪtɜːn/
- US /ˈtæs.ɪˌtɝn/
Taciturn has 3 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-taciturn.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of taciturn
- more taciturn comparative
- most taciturn superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does taciturn mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Silent; temperamentally untalkative; disinclined to speak.
The two sisters could hardly have been more different, one so boisterous and expressive, the other so taciturn and calm.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Taciturn in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense untalkative, silent:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | taciturne |
| German | schweigsam, wortkarg, maulfaul, verschwiegen, kurzsilbig, einsilbig |
| Portuguese | taciturno |
| Spanish | taciturno |
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 taciturn come from?
Back-formation from taciturnity, from Middle English taciturnite, from Latin taciturnitās; or alternatively from French taciturne, likely reinforced by Latin taciturnus, from tacitus (“secret, tacit”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).