undercover
/ˌʌndə(ɹ)ˈkʌvə(ɹ)/adjective, noun, verb
undercover is spelled U-N-D-E-R-C-O-V-E-R: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 5.9 times per million words in written English, the 10,028th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, undercover means “Performed or happening in secret” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in undercover?
| Letters | 10: U-N-D-E-R-C-O-V-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.9 times per million words; the 10,028th 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 undercover?
Undercover appears 5.9 times per million words in written English, the 10,028th 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 undercover?
- /ˌʌndə(ɹ)ˈkʌvə(ɹ)/
Undercover has 4 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-undercover.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Sapaa-undercover.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with undercover
Also written: under cover (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of undercover
- more undercover comparative
- most undercover superlative
- undercovers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- undercovering participle, present
- undercovered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does undercover mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Performed or happening in secret.
- 2
Employed or engaged in spying or secret investigation.
noun
- 1
A person who works undercover.
verb
- 1
To provide too little coverage.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Undercover in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | clandestin, secret , agent secret |
| German | heimlich , verdeckt |
| Portuguese | encoberto, encoberta |
| Spanish | encubierto, clandestino , incógnito, de incógnito, secreto |
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 undercover come from?
From under + cover.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).