anoint

/əˈnɔɪnt/

//əˈnɔɪnt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"anoint" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“anoint” is uncommon English (frequency #54,009 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#54,009
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance; also, to spread over, as oil.

Corpus desk

Index EN-anoint · anoint · English

anoint · rank #54,009 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #54,009
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Antares

Nearest frequency peer: Antares (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “anoint”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “anoint” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for anoint
PropertyValue
Headwordanoint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈnɔɪnt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#54,009
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “anoint” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).anointfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Antares” (#54,010), “Annandale” (#54,007), “anisotropic” (#54,006). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “anoint” is #54,009. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

anoint is uncommon English at frequency #54,009 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /əˈnɔɪnt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for anoint, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English enointen, anointen, borrowed from Old French enoint, past participle of enoindre (“to anoint”). Doublet of inunct. The correct English form is anoint, spelled A-N-O-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance; also, to spread over, as oil.
  2. 2
    To apply oil to or to pour oil upon, etc., as a sacred rite, especially for consecration.
  3. 3
    To choose or nominate somebody for a leading or otherwise important position, especially formally or officially, or as an intended successor.
  4. 4
    To mark somebody as an official ruler, especially a king or queen, as a part of a religious ceremony.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how anoint appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
  2. And Fragrant Oils the ſtiffen'd Limbs anoint.

Etymology

From Middle English enointen, anointen, borrowed from Old French enoint, past participle of enoindre (“to anoint”). Doublet of inunct.

This word in other languages

ungir(Español)oindre(Français)ölen(Deutsch)ungir(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "anoint"?
"anoint" is spelled A-N-O-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈnɔɪnt/.
What does "anoint" mean?
As a verb, "anoint" means: To smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance; also, to spread over, as oil.
How do you pronounce "anoint"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anoint" is /əˈnɔɪnt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "anoint"?
From Middle English enointen, anointen, borrowed from Old French enoint, past participle of enoindre (“to anoint”). Doublet of inunct. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "anoint", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Ananda#54,003Adcock#53,984blithe#54,049bourse#54,055

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list