Pahlavi

/ˈpɑː.(h)ləˌvi/

//ˈpɑː.(h)ləˌvi// name

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

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

The verdict

“Pahlavi” is uncommon English (frequency #75,263 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,263
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The Pahlavi script, a writing system derived from the Aramaic script and used to write several Iranian languages, the most common form of which was the Book Pahlavi.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pahlavi · Pahlavi · English

Pahlavi · rank #75,263 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,263
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Paganini

Nearest frequency peer: Paganini (-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 “Pahlavi”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Pahlavi
PropertyValue
HeadwordPahlavi
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈpɑː.(h)ləˌvi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#75,263
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Pahlavi” 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).Pahlavifalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Paganini” (#75,262), “palfrey” (#75,265), “overworld” (#75,260). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “Pahlavi” is #75,263. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Pahlavi is uncommon English at frequency #75,263 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈpɑː.(h)ləˌvi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Pahlavi, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Iranian Persian پَهْلَوی (pahlavi), from Classical Persian پَهْلَوِی (pahlawī, “Parthian, of or relating to the age of the Iranian heroes before Islam”), from پَهْلَو (pahlaw) + ـِی (-ī). The correct English form is Pahlavi, spelled P-A-H-L-A-V-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    The Pahlavi script, a writing system derived from the Aramaic script and used to write several Iranian languages, the most common form of which was the Book Pahlavi.
  2. 2
    The Middle Persian language rendered in Book Pahlavi.
  3. 3
    A transliteration of the Persian surname پهلوی (pahlavi), borne by members of the Pahlavi dynasty which ruled Iran in the 20th century.

Etymology

From Iranian Persian پَهْلَوی (pahlavi), from Classical Persian پَهْلَوِی (pahlawī, “Parthian, of or relating to the age of the Iranian heroes before Islam”), from پَهْلَو (pahlaw) + ـِی (-ī).

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 "Pahlavi"?
"Pahlavi" is spelled P-A-H-L-A-V-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɑː.(h)ləˌvi/.
What does "Pahlavi" mean?
As a proper noun, "Pahlavi" means: The Pahlavi script, a writing system derived from the Aramaic script and used to write several Iranian languages, the most common form of which was the Book Pahlavi.
How do you pronounce "Pahlavi"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Pahlavi" is /ˈpɑː.(h)ləˌvi/. 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 "Pahlavi"?
From Iranian Persian پَهْلَوی (pahlavi), from Classical Persian پَهْلَوِی (pahlawī, “Parthian, of or relating to the age of the Iranian heroes before Islam”), from پَهْلَو (pahlaw) + ـِی (-ī). 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 "Pahlavi", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

palfrey#75,265pembina#75,281Norland#75,244Perumal#75,286

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list