pecan
pe·can/piːˈkɑːn/noun
pecan is spelled P-E-C-A-N: 5 letters and 2 syllables (pe·can). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,549th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pecan means “A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pecan is pecans.
How many letters and syllables are in pecan?
| Letters | 5: P-E-C-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pe·can |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,549th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is pecan?
Pecan appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,549th 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 pecan?
- /piːˈkɑːn/
- /pɪˈkɑːn/
- /ˈpiːkæn/
Pecan has 2 syllables, split pe·can in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-pecan.oga, LL-Q1860_(eng)-JutishMale-pecan.wav, En-au-pecan.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pecan
- pecans plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pecan mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible nuts.
- 2
A smooth, thin-shelled, edible oval nut of this tree.
- 3
A half of the edible portion of the inside of this nut.
Each shell contains two pecans, usually plump and oblong in shape, although some varieties are round or pointed.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pecan in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pacanier , noix de pécan, pacane |
| German | Pekannussbaum , Pekannuss |
| Portuguese | nogueira-pecã , pecã |
| Spanish | pacano, pecán, pacana, pecano, pecana, pacanero |
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 pecan come from?
Borrowed from French pacane and at first spelt paccan. The French word derives from an Algonquian word, perhaps Miami (Illinois) pakani. Compare Cree pakan (“hard nut”), Ojibwe bagaan, Abenaki pagann, bagôn, pagôn (“nut; walnut, hazelnut”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).