asterism
/ˈas.təˌɹɪz.əm/
"asterism" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“asterism” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).
Corpus desk
Index EN-asterism · asterism · English
asterism · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | asterism |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈas.təˌɹɪz.əm/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “asterism” in English
Rare enough to double-check
asterism is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈas.təˌɹɪz.əm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for asterism, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἀστερισμός (asterismós, “group of stars”), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”). Analyzable as aster- + -ism. The correct English form is asterism, spelled A-S-T-E-R-I-S-M.
Definition
- 1An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).
- 2A rarely used typographical symbol of three asterisks arranged in a triangle, ⁂, used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book. Distinct from a dinkus which also uses asterisks to separate.
- 3A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica).
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how asterism appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, and Orion's Belt are asterisms.
Of the constellations, or asterisms. [...] It therefore became necessary to adopt a more general method of distinguishing them. This was accomplished by portioning out the heavens into imaginary figures, of men, birds, fishes, &c. called Constellations or Asterisms.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἀστερισμός (asterismós, “group of stars”), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”). Analyzable as aster- + -ism.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.