penthouse

/ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs/

//ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs// noun

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

"penthouse" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“penthouse” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,414. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,414
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A structure or annexe (especially one with a sloping roof) extending from the side of a building, sometimes as protection from the weather.

Corpus desk

Index EN-penthouse · penthouse · English

penthouse · rank #19,414 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,414
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH patriarch

Nearest frequency peer: patriarch (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “penthouse”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “penthouse” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for penthouse
PropertyValue
Headwordpenthouse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#19,414
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “penthouse”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).penthouselands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “patriarch” (#19,413), “perjury” (#19,415), “pajamas” (#19,411). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “penthouse” is #19,414. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around penthouse (IPA /ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,414 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for penthouse, with forms such as "epnthouse", "penhtouse", and "pennthouse". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman pentiz (“pentice”), from apendiz (“appentice”), ultimately from a suffixed form of Latin appendō (“I append”). Altered by folk etymology to appear to be a compound of house. Doublet of appentice and pentice. The correct English form is penthouse, spelled P-E-N-T-H-O-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A structure or annexe (especially one with a sloping roof) extending from the side of a building, sometimes as protection from the weather.
  2. 2
    Something forming a shelter or canopy over something; an awning, shelter, etc.
  3. 3
    Any of the sloping roofs at the side of a real tennis court.
  4. 4
    An apartment or suite found on an upper floor, or floors, of a tall building, especially one that is expensive or luxurious with panoramic views.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. At length, recommending himself to God, he let go one end of his cord, and suffered himself to fall down upon an old shed or penthouse, which, with the weight of his body, fell in with great noise.
  2. The proboscis […] is doubled up by means of the joint, and in that position lies secure under a scaly penthouse.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman pentiz (“pentice”), from apendiz (“appentice”), ultimately from a suffixed form of Latin appendō (“I append”). Altered by folk etymology to appear to be a compound of house. Doublet of appentice and pentice.

This word in other languages

apéndice(Español)appentis(Français)Dachwohnung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epnthouse
  • penhtouse
  • pennthouse
  • penthhouse
  • penthosue
  • penthoues
  • penthousse
  • penthuose
  • pentohuse
  • pentthouse
  • petnhouse
  • pnethouse
  • ppenthouse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of penthouse - 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.

epnthouse2penhtouse2pennthouse1penthhouse1penthosue2penthoues2penthousse1penthuose2
Edit distance from "penthouse"

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 "penthouse"?
"penthouse" is spelled P-E-N-T-H-O-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs/.
What does "penthouse" mean?
As a noun, "penthouse" means: A structure or annexe (especially one with a sloping roof) extending from the side of a building, sometimes as protection from the weather.
What are common misspellings of "penthouse"?
Common misspellings include "epnthouse", "penhtouse", "pennthouse", "penthhouse", "penthosue". The correct spelling is "penthouse".
How do you pronounce "penthouse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "penthouse" is /ˈpɛnt(h)aʊs/. 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 "penthouse"?
From Anglo-Norman pentiz (“pentice”), from apendiz (“appentice”), ultimately from a suffixed form of Latin appendō (“I append”). Altered by folk etymology to appear to be a compound of house. Doublet of appentice and pentice. 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 "penthouse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

patriarch#19,413oblivious#19,401regulates#19,435labyrinth#19,378

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Sanskrit13 variantsinstruct13 variantsshoreline13 variantsstagnant13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list