grandee

/ɡɹænˈdiː/

//ɡɹænˈdiː// noun

"grandee" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“grandee” is uncommon English (frequency #76,815 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,815
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A high-ranking nobleman in Spain or Portugal.

Corpus desk

Index EN-grandee · grandee · English

grandee · rank #76,815 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #76,815
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH grabby

Nearest frequency peer: grabby (-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 “grandee”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for grandee
PropertyValue
Headwordgrandee
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɹænˈdiː/
Letters7
Frequency rank#76,815
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “grandee” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).grandeefalls 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: “grabby” (#76,814), “Gogglebox” (#76,810), “Godley” (#76,809). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “grandee” is #76,815. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

grandee is uncommon English at frequency #76,815 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɡɹænˈdiː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for grandee, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Spanish grande (adjective), from Latin grandis (“large, great”). Doublet of grand and grande. The correct English form is grandee, spelled G-R-A-N-D-E-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A high-ranking nobleman in Spain or Portugal.
  2. 2
    A person of high rank.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Grandees of Spain are of two sorts, this Honour being sometimes personal, sometimes hereditary. The first, the King bids be covered themselves; the second, themselves and Heirs for ever. This is all the Ceremony in making a Grandee, neither do any other priviledges belong to it; so that it is but a Chimerical and Airy Honour, without any profit; they whic…
  2. I indicated a chair, and he sat down. This grandee was the grandson of an American of considerable note in his day, and not wholly forgotten yet,—a man who came so near being a great man that he was quite generally accounted one while he lived.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish grande (adjective), from Latin grandis (“large, great”). Doublet of grand and grande.

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 "grandee"?
"grandee" is spelled G-R-A-N-D-E-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹænˈdiː/.
What does "grandee" mean?
As a noun, "grandee" means: A high-ranking nobleman in Spain or Portugal.
How do you pronounce "grandee"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grandee" is /ɡɹænˈdiː/. 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 "grandee"?
Borrowed from Spanish grande (adjective), from Latin grandis (“large, great”). Doublet of grand and grande. 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 "grandee", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list