tarmac
/ˈtɑː(ɹ)mæk/noun, verb
tarmac is spelled T-A-R-M-A-C: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tarmac means “Tarmacadam” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tarmac is tarmacs.
How many letters and syllables are in tarmac?
| Letters | 6: T-A-R-M-A-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,462nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is tarmac?
Tarmac appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd 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 tarmac?
- /ˈtɑː(ɹ)mæk/
Tarmac 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-tarmac.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with tarmac?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as tarmac.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: amtrac.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of tarmac
- tarmacs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- tarmacking participle, present
- tarmacing participle, present
- tarmaccing participle, present
- tarmacked participle, past
- tarmaced participle, past
- tarmacced participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tarmac mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Tarmacadam.
- 2
CanadaIrelandUKAny bituminous road surfacing material.
- 3
CanadaIrelandUKThe driveable surface of a road.
- 4
informalThe area of an airport, other than the runway, where planes park or maneuver.
verb
- 1
CanadaUKTo pave with tarmacadam or a similar material.
Residents in Bolton are angry after workmen tarmaced only one half of their road leaving the other half strewn with potholes.
- 2
To spend time idling on a runway, usually waiting for takeoff clearance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tarmac in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | tarmac |
| German | Asphalt, Teermakadam , Rollfeld |
| Portuguese | asfalto, macadame |
| Spanish | asfalto |
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 tarmac come from?
Clipping of tarmacadam, which is from tar + macadam (“crushed stones”). Originally a trademark owned by its inventor, Edgar Hooley.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).