anthem
/ˈæn.θəm/ [ˈæn̪.θəm]noun, verb
anthem is spelled A-N-T-H-E-M: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 8.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,146th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, anthem means “A choral or vocal composition, often with a religious or political lyric” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of anthem is anthems.
How many letters and syllables are in anthem?
| Letters | 6: A-N-T-H-E-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 8.1 times per million words; the 8,146th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is anthem?
Anthem 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 anthem?
- UK /ˈæn.θəm/ [ˈæn̪.θəm]
- British /ˈan.θəm/ [ˈan̪.θəm]
- /ˈæn.θəm/ [ˈɛə̯n̪.θəm ~ ˈeə̯n̪.θəm]
Anthem 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-anthem.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with anthem?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as anthem.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: hetman, mentha.
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 anthem
- anthems plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- antheming participle, present
- anthemed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does anthem mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
archaicAntiphon.
- 2
A choral or vocal composition, often with a religious or political lyric.
The school's anthem sang of its many outstanding qualities, and it was hard to keep a straight face while singing.
- 3
A hymn of praise or loyalty.
The choir sang a selection of Christmas anthems at the service just before the big day.
- 4
informalA very popular song or track.
verb
- 1
To celebrate with anthems.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Anthem in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense national anthem:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | hymne |
| German | Hymne, Nationalhymne |
| Portuguese | hino |
| Spanish | himno |
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 anthem come from?
From Middle English anteme, from Old English antefn, antefen and Old French antiene, anteine, anteivne, from Latin antiphōna, from Ancient Greek ἀντίφωνα (antíphōna), from ἀντί (antí, “over against”) + φωνή (phōnḗ, “voice, sound”). Doublet of antiphon.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).