frontispiece

/ˈfɹʌn.tɪsˌpiːs/

//ˈfɹʌn.tɪsˌpiːs// noun

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

"frontispiece" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“frontispiece” is uncommon English (frequency #62,910 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,910
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An illustration that is on the page before the title page of a book, a section of one, or a magazine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-frontispiece · frontispiece · English

frontispiece · rank #62,910 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #62,910
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Freire

Nearest frequency peer: Freire (-2 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 “frontispiece”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for frontispiece
PropertyValue
Headwordfrontispiece
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɹʌn.tɪsˌpiːs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#62,910
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “frontispiece” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).frontispiecefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Freire” (#62,908), “fullscreen” (#62,912), “Gagne” (#62,913). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “frontispiece” is #62,910. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

frontispiece is uncommon English at frequency #62,910 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfɹʌn.tɪsˌpiːs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for frontispiece in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French frontispice, from Italian frontespizio or Medieval Latin frontispicium, from Latin frōns (“forehead”, oblique stem in front-) + -spic- (“to watch”, combining form of speciō) + -ium. Spelling altered due to folk etymology, influenced by pi… The correct English form is frontispiece, spelled F-R-O-N-T-I-S-P-I-E-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An illustration that is on the page before the title page of a book, a section of one, or a magazine.
  2. 2
    The title page of a book.
  3. 3
    A façade, especially an ornamental one.
  4. 4
    A small ornamental pediment, especially at the top of a window or door.
  5. 5
    A person's face.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The viaduct was illustrated as a frontispiece to THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE of September, 1938. [In this case, the frontispiece is between the title page and the first article.]
  2. He carries on his frontispiece the indubitable marks of a money-dealer. His is one of those peculiar faces […]

Etymology

From Middle French frontispice, from Italian frontespizio or Medieval Latin frontispicium, from Latin frōns (“forehead”, oblique stem in front-) + -spic- (“to watch”, combining form of speciō) + -ium. Spelling altered due to folk etymology, influenced by piece.

This word in other languages

frontispicio(Español)frontispice(Français)Frontispiz(Deutsch)frontispício(Português)

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 "frontispiece"?
"frontispiece" is spelled F-R-O-N-T-I-S-P-I-E-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹʌn.tɪsˌpiːs/.
What does "frontispiece" mean?
As a noun, "frontispiece" means: An illustration that is on the page before the title page of a book, a section of one, or a magazine.
How do you pronounce "frontispiece"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "frontispiece" is /ˈfɹʌn.tɪsˌpiːs/. 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 "frontispiece"?
From Middle French frontispice, from Italian frontespizio or Medieval Latin frontispicium, from Latin frōns (“forehead”, oblique stem in front-) + -spic- (“to watch”, combining form of speciō) + -ium. Spelling altered due to folk etymology, influe... 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 "frontispiece", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hieroglyphic#62,968disassociate#62,841incoherently#62,994cytotoxicity#62,817

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list