verbal
ver·bal/ˈvɝ.bəl/adjective, noun, verb
verbal is spelled V-E-R-B-A-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables (ver·bal). It appears 8.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,146th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, verbal means “Of or relating to words” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in verbal?
| Letters | 6: V-E-R-B-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ver·bal |
| In writing | 8.1 times per million words; the 8,146th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in 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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is verbal?
Verbal appears 8.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,146th 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 verbal?
- UK /ˈvɜː.bəl/
- UK [ˈvɜː.bɫ̩]
- US /ˈvɝ.bəl/
Verbal has 2 syllables, split ver·bal in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-verbal.ogg, En-us-verbal.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with verbal?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as verbal from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹbəl/):
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 verbal
- verbals plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- verbaling US, participle, present
- verballing UK, participle, present
- verbaled US, participle, past
- verballed UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does verbal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to words.
- 2
Concerned with the words, rather than the substance of a text.
- 3
Consisting of words only.
- 4
Expressly spoken rather than written; oral.
a verbal contract
- 5
Derived from, or having the nature of a verb.
- 6
Used to form a verb.
- 7
Capable of speech.
- 8
Word for word.
a verbal translation
noun
- 1
A verb form which does not function as a predicate, or a word derived from a verb. In English, infinitives, participles and gerunds are verbals.
- 2
IrelandUKA spoken confession given to police.
- 3
IrelandUKcolloquialTalk; speech, especially banter or scolding.
verb
- 1
AustraliaUKTo allege (usually falsely) that someone has made an oral admission.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Verbal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | verbal , oral |
| German | wörtlich, verbal , mündlich , zeitwörtlich |
| Portuguese | verbal , oral |
| Spanish | verbal |
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 verbal come from?
From Old French verbal, from Late Latin verbālis (“belonging to a word”). Equivalent to verb + -al.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).