legend
/ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ənd/noun
legend is spelled L-E-G-E-N-D: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,364th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Legend, the name). As a noun, legend means “The life story of a saint (such stories are often embellished, but any kind is called a legend)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of legend is legends.
How many letters and syllables are in legend?
| Letters | 6: L-E-G-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 28 times per million words; the 3,364th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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 legend?
Legend appears 28 times per million words in written English, the 3,364th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Legend, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce legend?
- /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.ənd/
- /ˈliːd͡ʒ.ənd/
Legend has 2 syllables (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: En-us-legend.ogg, En-au-legend.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of legend
- legends plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- legending participle, present
- legended participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does legend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The life story of a saint (such stories are often embellished, but any kind is called a legend).
As a child she had nothing to read but the legends of early Christian martyrs.
- 2
A story of unknown origin describing plausible but extraordinary past events.
The legend of Troy was discovered to have a historical basis.
- 3
A plausible story set in the historical past, but whose historicity is uncertain.
the legend of Robin Hood
- 4
A story in which a kernel of truth is embellished to an unlikely degree.
The 1984 Rose Bowl prank has spawned many legends. Here's the real story.
- 5
A fabricated backstory for a spy, with associated documents and records.
According to his legend, he once worked for the Red Cross, spreading humanitarian aid in Africa.
- 6
Such stories considered collectively; unverified traditional tales.
- 7
A leading protagonist in a historical legend.
Achilles is a legend in Greek culture.
- 8
A person of extraordinary fame or accomplishments.
Michael Jordan stands as a legend in basketball.
verb
- 1
archaicTo tell or narrate; to recount.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate legend?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of legend: leg..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Legend 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 legend come from?
From Middle English legende, from Old French legende, from Medieval Latin legenda (“a legend, story, especially the lives of the saints”), from Latin legenda (“things which ought to be read”), from lego (“to read”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).