colophon

/ˈkɒləfən/

//ˈkɒləfən// noun

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

"colophon" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“colophon” is uncommon English (frequency #79,399 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,399
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In manuscripts (typically before the invention of printing), the note, usually at the end, left by the scribe who copied it, giving information on his exemplar, where and when the copy was made, an...

Corpus desk

Index EN-colophon · colophon · English

colophon · rank #79,399 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #79,399
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH colonizer

Nearest frequency peer: colonizer (-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 “colophon”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for colophon
PropertyValue
Headwordcolophon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒləfən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#79,399
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “colophon” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).colophonfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “colonizer” (#79,398), “comedown” (#79,400), “Colfer” (#79,397). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “colophon” is #79,399. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

colophon is uncommon English at frequency #79,399 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɒləfən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for colophon in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin colophōn, from Ancient Greek κολοφών (kolophṓn, “peak or finishing touch”). The correct English form is colophon, spelled C-O-L-O-P-H-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    In manuscripts (typically before the invention of printing), the note, usually at the end, left by the scribe who copied it, giving information on his exemplar, where and when the copy was made, and sometimes, his own name.
  2. 2
    A printer's or publisher's identifying inscription or logo appearing at the front or end of a book, or the same appearing on the spine or dust jacket.
  3. 3
    A page on a website identifying the details of its creation, such as the author's name and the technologies used.
  4. 4
    A finishing stroke or crowning touch.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He comes to the creation of man, and makes him the Colophon, or conclusion of all things else.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin colophōn, from Ancient Greek κολοφών (kolophṓn, “peak or finishing touch”).

This word in other languages

colofón(Español)colophon(Français)

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 "colophon"?
"colophon" is spelled C-O-L-O-P-H-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒləfən/.
What does "colophon" mean?
As a noun, "colophon" means: In manuscripts (typically before the invention of printing), the note, usually at the end, left by the scribe who copied it, giving information on his exemplar, where and when the copy was made, an...
How do you pronounce "colophon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "colophon" is /ˈkɒləfən/. 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 "colophon"?
Borrowed from Late Latin colophōn, from Ancient Greek κολοφών (kolophṓn, “peak or finishing touch”). 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 "colophon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

comedown#79,400compleat#79,403corniche#79,412Cromarty#79,424

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list