patron saint
/ˈpeɪtɹən ˈseɪnt/
"patron-saint" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“patron saint” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A saint conceived as the patron (protector or supporter) of a particular place, group, person, or activity, for whom or for which his or her intercession is specially invoked.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | patron saint |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpeɪtɹən ˈseɪnt/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “patron saint” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
patron saint is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpeɪtɹən ˈseɪnt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for patron saint in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is patron saint, spelled P-A-T-R-O-N- -S-A-I-N-T.
Definition
- 1A saint conceived as the patron (protector or supporter) of a particular place, group, person, or activity, for whom or for which his or her intercession is specially invoked.
- 2An exemplar: an individual who exemplifies some trait or group.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “patron saint”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-A-T-R-O-N- -S-A-I-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpeɪtɹən ˈseɪnt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.