Edom

/ˈi.dəm/

//ˈi.dəm// name

"edom" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Edom” is uncommon English (frequency #69,021 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,021
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The name given to Esau in the Hebrew Bible.

Key facts for Edom
PropertyValue
HeadwordEdom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈi.dəm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#69,021
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Edom” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Edom lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Edom is uncommon English at frequency #69,021 among 18,836 “E” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈi.dəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for Edom in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Via Late Latin Edōm from Koine Greek Ἐδώμ (Edṓm) from Biblical Hebrew אֱדוֹם (ʾĔḏōm). The medieval Jewish use of "Edom" to refer to Christians referred to their view of Christianity as a heresy that originated from Judaism, comparing Christians to Esau as a… The correct English form is Edom, spelled E-D-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The name given to Esau in the Hebrew Bible.
  2. 2
    A region whose inhabitants, the Edomites, traditionally traced their ancestry to Esau.
  3. 3
    Rome, the Roman Empire.
  4. 4
    Christianity; Christendom, the Christian countries.

Etymology

Via Late Latin Edōm from Koine Greek Ἐδώμ (Edṓm) from Biblical Hebrew אֱדוֹם (ʾĔḏōm). The medieval Jewish use of "Edom" to refer to Christians referred to their view of Christianity as a heresy that originated from Judaism, comparing Christians to Esau as a relative who was hostile to Jacob (who represented the Jewish people). It originated from Jewish writings that compared the Roman authorities to Edom for their persecution of Jewish people, which was later applied to Christianity when the latter became the state religion of the Roman Empire.

Synonyms

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); 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 "Edom"?
"Edom" is spelled E-D-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈi.dəm/.
What does "Edom" mean?
As a proper noun, "Edom" means: The name given to Esau in the Hebrew Bible.
How do you pronounce "Edom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Edom" is /ˈi.dəm/. 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 "Edom"?
Via Late Latin Edōm from Koine Greek Ἐδώμ (Edṓm) from Biblical Hebrew אֱדוֹם (ʾĔḏōm). The medieval Jewish use of "Edom" to refer to Christians referred to their view of Christianity as a heresy that originated from Judaism, comparing Christians to... 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.

Using “Edom”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-D-O-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈi.dəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list