pendent

/ˈpɛndənt/

//ˈpɛndənt// adj

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

"pendent" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pendent” is uncommon English (frequency #87,664 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,664
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Dangling, drooping, hanging down or suspended.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pendent · pendent · English

pendent · rank #87,664 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,664
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH passphrase

Nearest frequency peer: passphrase (-6 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 “pendent”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pendent
PropertyValue
Headwordpendent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɛndənt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#87,664
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pendent” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).pendentfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “passphrase” (#87,658), “pharmacologically” (#87,670), “pash” (#87,657). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pendent” is #87,664. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pendent is uncommon English at frequency #87,664 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈpɛndənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

pendent has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pendaunt, Anglo-Norman pendaunt, pendant, respelled to reflect Latin pendēns, pendentis, present participle of pendere (“to hang, to be suspended”). Compare pendant, which retained the spelling. The correct English form is pendent, spelled P-E-N-D-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dangling, drooping, hanging down or suspended.
  2. 2
    Pending (in various senses).
  3. 3
    Either hanging in some sense, or constructed of multiple elements such as the voussoirs of an arch or the pendentives of a dome, none of which can stand on its own, but which in combination are stable.
  4. 4
    Hanging or pointed downward; (of a crescent) with its horns pointing downward.
  5. 5
    Incomplete in some sense, such as lacking a finite verb.
  6. 6
    Projecting over something; overhanging.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Now had they brought the work by wondrous Art / Pontifical, a ridge of pendent Rock / Over the vext Abyſs, […]
  2. Nectar ran / In courteous fountains to all cups outreach'd; / And plunder'd vines, teeming exhaustless, pleach'd / New growth about each shell and pendent lyre; […]

Etymology

From Middle English pendaunt, Anglo-Norman pendaunt, pendant, respelled to reflect Latin pendēns, pendentis, present participle of pendere (“to hang, to be suspended”). Compare pendant, which retained the spelling.

This word in other languages

pendiente(Español)hängend(Deutsch)

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 "pendent"?
"pendent" is spelled P-E-N-D-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛndənt/.
What does "pendent" mean?
As an adjective, "pendent" means: Dangling, drooping, hanging down or suspended.
How do you pronounce "pendent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pendent" is /ˈpɛndənt/. 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 "pendent"?
From Middle English pendaunt, Anglo-Norman pendaunt, pendant, respelled to reflect Latin pendēns, pendentis, present participle of pendere (“to hang, to be suspended”). Compare pendant, which retained the spelling. 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 "pendent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Pangaea#87,653pickler#87,677overman#87,646outplay#87,644

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list