Canon or canyon?
canon is a noun meaning “A generally accepted principle; a rule”; canyon is a noun meaning “A valley, especially a long, narrow, steep valley, cut in rock by a river”. In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) canon is about as common as canyon.
What is the difference between canon and canyon?
| canon | canyon | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, adjective | noun, verb |
| Meaning | A generally accepted principle; a rule A formally codified set of criteria deemed mandatory for a particular artistic style of figurative art A type of clergymember serving a cathedral or collegiate church | A valley, especially a long, narrow, steep valley, cut in rock by a river Of water, liquid, or another substance, to flow in or into a canyon |
| Example | The trial must proceed according to the canons of law | none recorded |
| Forms | canons cañons, cañones cañóns | canyons |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkæn.ən/ | /ˈkænjən/ /ˈkæɲən/ |
| In writing | 13 times per million words | 9.1 times per million words |
Sources: canon and canyon in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of canon and canyon
canon
- 1
A generally accepted principle; a rule
The trial must proceed according to the canons of law
- 2
A type of clergymember serving a cathedral or collegiate church
- 3
slangClipping of canonical
The franchise's book spinoff is usually not considered canon
- 4
Alternative spelling of qanun
- 5
Alternative spelling of cannon (“a carom in billiards”)
- 6
Alternative spelling of canyon
- 7
Alternative form of canyon
- 8
Alternative letter-case form of canon: a member of a chapter
canyon
- 1
A valley, especially a long, narrow, steep valley, cut in rock by a river
- 2
Of water, liquid, or another substance, to flow in or into a canyon
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, canon or canyon?
canon appears 13 times per million words; canyon 9.1 times per million words.
canon 13 times per million wordscanyon 9.1 times per million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).