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PlainSpell

utter

ut·ter/ˈʌtəɹ/adjective, noun, verb

utter is spelled U-T-T-E-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (ut·ter). It appears 7.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,918th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “udder vs utter” about 480 times a month (Google, United States). As an adjective, utter means “To the furthest or most extreme extent; absolute, complete, total, unconditional” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in utter?

Letters5: U-T-T-E-R
Syllables2: ut·ter
In writing7.1 times per million words; the 8,918th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Pairs people search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is utter?

Utter appears 7.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,918th 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 utter?

  • UK /ˈʌtə/
  • UK [ˈɐtə]
  • US /ˈʌtəɹ/

Utter has 2 syllables, split ut·ter in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-utter.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with utter

Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).

udder vs utter480 G

Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

What rhymes with utter?

11 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as utter from its last stressed vowel (/ʌtəɹ/):

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 utter

  • utmost superlative
  • uttermost superlative
  • the utter
  • utters present, singular, he/she/it
  • uttering participle, present
  • uttered participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does utter mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    To the furthest or most extreme extent; absolute, complete, total, unconditional.

    utter bliss    utter darkness    utter ruin

  2. 2

    rareOf a substance: pure, unmixed.

  3. 3

    Of decisions, replies, etc.: made in an unconditional or unqualified manner; decisive, definite.

  4. 4

    obsoleteFurther out than another thing; being the exterior or outer part of something; outer, outward; also, extremely remote.

    at the utter extremities of

  5. 5

    obsoleterarePreceding all others; original.

  6. 6

    obsoleterareSucceeding all others; final, last, ultimate.

verb

  1. 1

    Sometimes preceded by forth, out, etc.: to produce (a cry, speech, or other sounds) with the voice.

    Don’t you utter another word!

  2. 2

    To verbally express or report (a desire or emotion, an idea or thought, etc.).

  3. 3

    To express (oneself) in speech or writing.

  4. 4

    Of a thing: to produce (a noise or sound); to emit.

    Sally’s car uttered a hideous shriek when she applied the brakes.

  5. 5

    obsoleteTo disclose or reveal (something secret or unknown); to bring to light.

  6. 6

    obsoleteTo disclose or reveal the identity or nature of (oneself or someone, or something).

  7. 7

    obsoleteTo display or show (itself or something).

  8. 8

    To speak.

noun

  1. 1

    rareThe thing which is most utter (adjective sense) or extreme.

adverb

  1. 1

    obsoleteFurther apart, away, or out; outside, without.

  2. 2

    obsoleteTo an extreme extent; altogether, quite.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Utter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchabsolu, total (to the furthest or most extreme extent – see…), émettre, proférer, prononcer ((''transitive'') to produce (a cry, speech, or…)
Germantotal, völlig (to the furthest or most extreme extent – see…), äußern, ausstoßen ((''transitive'') to produce (a cry, speech, or…)
Portuguesecompleto, total (to the furthest or most extreme extent – see…), articular, balbuciar, dizer, emitir ((''transitive'') to produce (a cry, speech, or…)
Spanishabsoluto, completo, perfecto, total, rotundo (to the furthest or most extreme extent – see…), resolgar ((''transitive'') to produce (a cry, speech, or…)

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 utter come from?

The adjective is derived from Middle English outre, utter, uttre (“situated on the outside of, exterior”), from Old English ūtera (“exterior, outer”, literally “more out”), the comparative form of ūt (“out”). Piecewise doublet of outer. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after utter