vital
/ˈvaɪtəl/adjective
vital is spelled V-I-T-A-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 24 times per million words in written English, the 3,752nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, vital means “Relating to or characteristic of life” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in vital?
| Letters | 5: V-I-T-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 24 times per million words; the 3,752nd 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 vital?
Vital appears 24 times per million words in written English, the 3,752nd 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 vital?
- /ˈvaɪtəl/
Vital 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: En-us-vital.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of vital
- more vital comparative
- most vital superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does vital mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Relating to or characteristic of life.
vital energies; vital functions; vital actions
- 2
Necessary to the continuation of life; being the seat of life; being that on which life depends.
The brain is a vital organ.
- 3
Invigorating or life-giving.
- 4
Necessary to continued existence.
The transition to farming was vital for the creation of civilisation.
- 5
Relating to the recording of life events.
Birth, marriage and death certificates are vital records.
- 6
Very important.
It is vital that you don't forget to do your homework.
- 7
Containing life; living.
- 8
Lively, having vitality
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Vital in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vital |
| German | Lebens- , lebenswichtig, vital , essentiell |
| Portuguese | vital |
| Spanish | vital |
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 vital come from?
From Middle English vital, from Old French vital, from Latin vītālis (“of life, life-giving”), from vīta (“life”), from vīvō (“to live”). Doublet of jiva and quick.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).