paragon
/ˈpæɹəˌɡɔn/noun, verb
paragon is spelled P-A-R-A-G-O-N: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, paragon means “A person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model for others” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of paragon is paragons.
How many letters and syllables are in paragon?
| Letters | 7: P-A-R-A-G-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,150th 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 paragon?
Paragon appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th 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 paragon?
- UK /ˈpæɹəɡən/
- US /ˈpæɹəˌɡɔn/
- US /ˈpæɹəˌɡɑn/
Paragon has 3 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-paragon.wav, En-us-paragon.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of paragon
- paragons plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- paragoning participle, present
- paragoned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does paragon mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model for others.
In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue who would never compromise her reputation.
- 2
obsoleteA companion; a match; an equal.
- 3
obsoleteComparison; competition.
- 4
datedThe size of type between great primer and double pica, standardized as 20-point.
- 5
A flawless diamond of at least 100 carats.
verb
- 1
To compare; to parallel; to put in rivalry or emulation with.
- 2
To compare with; to equal; to rival.
- 3
To serve as a model for; to surpass.
- 4
To be equal; to hold comparison.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Paragon in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | parangon , petit-parangon , parangonner |
| German | Vorbild, Muster, Leuchtturm, Inbegriff, Modell, Paradebeispiel |
| Portuguese | modelo, exemplo |
| Spanish | dechado, padrón , parangón, paragón |
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 paragon come from?
Borrowed from Middle French paragon, paragone, from Old Italian paragone, from paragonare (“to test on a touchstone”), perhaps from Ancient Greek παρακονᾶν (parakonân, “to sharpen, whet”), from παρά- (pará-) + ἀκόνη (akónē, “whetstone, sharpening stone”), from ἀκή (akḗ, “point, edge”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”)).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).