works
/wɝks/noun, verb
works is spelled W-O-R-K-S: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 195 times per million words in written English, the 516th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, works means “A factory or factories, or a similar collection(s) of industrial facilities” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in works?
| Letters | 5: W-O-R-K-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 195 times per million words; the 516th 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 works?
Works appears 195 times per million words in written English, the 516th 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 works?
- UK /wɜːks/
- US /wɝks/
Works has one syllable (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-works.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What does works mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A factory or factories, or a similar collection(s) of industrial facilities.
The steel works almost fills the valley.
- 2
A mechanism or machinery; the means by which something happens.
Aged and degraded oil and grease can really gum up the works.
- 3
Everything or everything that is available or possible; especially, all available toppings on food.
I'll have a Behemoth Burger with the works.
- 4
Drastic treatment; abuse; the axe (dismissal).
- 5
slangA heroin or other drug addict's equipment: syringes, needles, etc.
- 6
plural of work in its countable senses
verb
- 1
third-person singular simple present indicative of work
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Works in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense plural form of work (in its countable senses):
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Arbeiten |
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.