pennant

/ˈpɛnənt/

//ˈpɛnənt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pennant” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,361 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#33,361
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A flag normally used by naval vessels to represent a special condition.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

pennant vs penning
71% similar
pennant vs pregnant
75% similar
pennant vs Penang
57% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for pennant
PropertyValue
Headwordpennant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛnənt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#33,361
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pennant” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pennant is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɛnənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,361 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for pennant, with forms such as "epnnant", "penannt", and "penant". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "penning", "pregnant", "Penang", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English penon, penoun, pynoun, Old French penon, French pennon, from Latin penna (“feather”). See pen (“a feather”), and compare pennon, pinion. The correct English form is pennant, spelled P-E-N-N-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A flag normally used by naval vessels to represent a special condition.
  2. 2
    A flag normally used by naval vessels to represent a special condition.
  3. 3
    A flag normally used by naval vessels to represent a special condition.
  4. 4
    A small flag with pointed end, formerly carried by cavalry or other mounted troops to serve as a rallying point or ceremonial unit identification.
  5. 5
    The winning of a competition, represented by a flag.
  6. 6
    A commemorative flag, traditionally triangular and made of felt, typically used to show support for a particular athletic team.
  7. 7
    A rope or strap to which a purchase is hooked.
  8. 8
    A sandstone between coal measures in parts of South Wales
  9. 9
    Either of two species of libellulid dragonfly of the genus Macrodiplax, of the tropics and subtropics.

Etymology

From Middle English penon, penoun, pynoun, Old French penon, French pennon, from Latin penna (“feather”). See pen (“a feather”), and compare pennon, pinion.

This word in other languages

gallardete(Español)fanion(Français)Wimpel(Deutsch)flâmula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epnnant,penannt,penant,pennannt,pennantt,pennatn,pennnat,pnenant,ppennant

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pennant - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

epnnant2penannt2penant1pennannt1pennantt1pennatn2pennnat2pnenant2
Edit distance from "pennant"

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 "pennant"?
"pennant" is spelled P-E-N-N-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛnənt/.
What does "pennant" mean?
As a noun, "pennant" means: A flag normally used by naval vessels to represent a special condition.
What words are commonly confused with "pennant"?
"pennant" is commonly confused with "penning", "pregnant", "Penang". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pennant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pennant" is /ˈpɛnənt/. 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 "pennant"?
From Middle English penon, penoun, pynoun, Old French penon, French pennon, from Latin penna (“feather”). See pen (“a feather”), and compare pennon, pinion. 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.

Using “pennant”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-N-N-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɛnənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “penning” - see the side-by-side comparison. pennant vs penning
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list