pardon
par·don/ˈpɑɹdn̩/noun, verb, interjection
pardon is spelled P-A-R-D-O-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables (par·don). It appears 6.6 times per million words in written English, the 9,313th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pardon means “Forgiveness for an offence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pardon is pardons.
How many letters and syllables are in pardon?
| Letters | 6: P-A-R-D-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: par·don |
| In writing | 6.6 times per million words; the 9,313th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is pardon?
Pardon appears 6.6 times per million words in written English, the 9,313th 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 pardon?
- UK /ˈpɑːdn̩/
- US /ˈpɑɹdn̩/
- US [ˈpʰɑ˞dn̩]
Pardon has 2 syllables, split par·don in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-pardon.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with pardon?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as pardon from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹdn/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of pardon
- pardons plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- pardoning participle, present
- pardoned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pardon mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Forgiveness for an offence.
- 2
An order that releases a convicted criminal without further punishment, prevents future punishment, or (in some jurisdictions) removes an offence from a person's criminal record, as if it had never been committed.
The President[…]shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
verb
- 1
To forgive (a person).
- 2
To refrain from exacting as a penalty.
- 3
To grant an official pardon for a crime.
interjection
- 1
Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pardon in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pardon , grâce , pardonner, gracier , désolé, excusez-moi |
| German | Vergebung, Verzeihung , Begnadigung , begnadigen , pardon?, was? |
| Portuguese | perdão , indulto, absolvição , indultar, absolver , perdão? |
| Spanish | perdón , indulto , indultar , ¿perdón?, ¿disculpe , perdonar |
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 pardon come from?
From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdōnāre, from per- + dōnāre, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).