velar
ve·lar/ˈviːlɚ/adjective, noun
velar is spelled V-E-L-A-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (ve·lar). It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, velar means “Articulated at the velum or soft palate” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in velar?
| Letters | 5: V-E-L-A-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ve·lar |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 66,686th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is velar?
Velar appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th 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 velar?
- UK /ˈviːlə/
- UK /ˈveɪlə/
- US /ˈviːlɚ/
Velar has 2 syllables, split ve·lar in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-velar.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with velar?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as velar from its last stressed vowel (/iləɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: ravel, laver, reval, larve.
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 velar
- velars plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does velar mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Articulated at the velum or soft palate.
- 2
Referring to a veil or velum.
noun
- 1
A sound articulated at the soft palate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Velar in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vélaire |
| Portuguese | velar |
| Spanish | velar |
| German | Velar, Gaumensegellaut |
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 velar come from?
Borrowed from Latin vēlāris, from vēlum (“sail; veil, awning”). By surface analysis, vel(um) + -ar.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).