pennon

/ˈpɛnən/

//ˈpɛnən// noun

"pennon" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pennon” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A thin, often triangular flag or streamer, especially as hung from the end of a lance or spear.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pennon · pennon · English

pennon · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for pennon
PropertyValue
Headwordpennon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛnən/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pennon” in English

pennonsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pennon is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɛnən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for pennon in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English penoun, pennon, from Anglo-Norman penun, penoun, from Old French penne (“feather”) + -on (diminutive suffix). The correct English form is pennon, spelled P-E-N-N-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thin, often triangular flag or streamer, especially as hung from the end of a lance or spear.
  2. 2
    A long pointed streamer or flag on a vessel.
  3. 3
    A wing (appendage of an animal's body enabling it to fly); any of the outermost primary feathers on a wing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Her yellow lockes crisped, like golden wyre, About her shoulders weren loosely shed, And when the winde emongst them did inspyre, They waued like a penon wyde dispred And low behinde her backe were scattered:
  2. Bar Harry England, that sweeps through our land With pennons painted in the blood of Harfleur:

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English penoun, pennon, from Anglo-Norman penun, penoun, from Old French penne (“feather”) + -on (diminutive suffix).

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

How do you spell "pennon"?
"pennon" is spelled P-E-N-N-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛnən/.
What does "pennon" mean?
As a noun, "pennon" means: A thin, often triangular flag or streamer, especially as hung from the end of a lance or spear.
How do you pronounce "pennon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pennon" is /ˈpɛnən/. 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 "pennon"?
Inherited from Middle English penoun, pennon, from Anglo-Norman penun, penoun, from Old French penne (“feather”) + -on (diminutive suffix). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list