pediment

/ˈpɛd.ɪ.mənt/

//ˈpɛd.ɪ.mənt// noun

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

"pediment" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pediment” is uncommon English (frequency #66,184 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,184
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the columns; fronton.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pediment · pediment · English

pediment · rank #66,184 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,184
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Pausanias

Nearest frequency peer: Pausanias (-2 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 “pediment”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pediment
PropertyValue
Headwordpediment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛd.ɪ.mənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#66,184
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pediment” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).pedimentfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Pausanias” (#66,182), “penetrative” (#66,186), “Pauling” (#66,180). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pediment” is #66,184. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pediment is uncommon English at frequency #66,184 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɛd.ɪ.mənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

pediment doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the earlier form peremint, perhaps a dialectal alteration of pyramid, under the influence of -ment. The correct English form is pediment, spelled P-E-D-I-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the columns; fronton.
  2. 2
    A very gently sloping (0.5°-7°) inclined bedrock surface.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how pediment appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Passing the Congregation Shearith Israel on Central Park West (a white whale of a building with a triangular pediment supported by four count ’em four massive Corinthian columns), Professor Solanka scurrying through the downpour remembered the newly bat-mitzvahed thirteen-year-old girl he’d glimpsed through the side door, […]

Etymology

From the earlier form peremint, perhaps a dialectal alteration of pyramid, under the influence of -ment.

This word in other languages

frontón(Español)fronton(Français)Frontispiz(Deutsch)frontão(Português)

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 "pediment"?
"pediment" is spelled P-E-D-I-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛd.ɪ.mənt/.
What does "pediment" mean?
As a noun, "pediment" means: A classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the columns; fronton.
How do you pronounce "pediment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pediment" is /ˈpɛd.ɪ.mənt/. 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 "pediment"?
From the earlier form peremint, perhaps a dialectal alteration of pyramid, under the influence of -ment. 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 "pediment", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Palmieri#66,174Pierpont#66,194Pimentel#66,196pitiless#66,197

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list