frieze
/ˈfɹiːz/noun, verb
frieze is spelled F-R-I-E-Z-E: 6 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, frieze means “A kind of coarse woollen cloth or stuff with a shaggy or tufted (friezed) nap on one side” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of frieze is friezes.
How many letters and syllables are in frieze?
| Letters | 6: F-R-I-E-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,459th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like |
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).
How common is frieze?
Frieze appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th 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 frieze?
- /ˈfɹiːz/
Frieze has one syllable (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)-Vininn126-frieze.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with frieze
Sounds like: freeze (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Also written: freeze.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of frieze
- friezes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- freeze
- friezing participle, present
- friezed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does frieze mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A kind of coarse woollen cloth or stuff with a shaggy or tufted (friezed) nap on one side.
- 2
The portion of an architectural entablature situated between the architrave and the cornice, consisting of a flat surface that may be continuous or articulated by triglyphs and is often decorated with sculptural figures and ornamental details.
- 3
Any sculptured or richly ornamented band in a building or in rich pieces of furniture.
- 4
A banner with a series of pictures.
The classroom had an alphabet frieze that showed an animal for each letter.
verb
- 1
To make a nap on (cloth); to frizz.
- 2
To put a frieze on.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Frieze in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
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 frieze come from?
Late Middle English, from French and Middle French frise, probably from Medieval Latin Frisia (“Frisian (wool)”) due to import via Northern ships. Or, from French friser (“to curl”)..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).