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PlainSpell

perch

/pɝt͡ʃ/noun, verb

perch is spelled P-E-R-C-H: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, perch means “Any of the three species of spiny-finned freshwater fish in the genus Perca” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of perch is perches.

How many letters and syllables are in perch?

Letters5: P-E-R-C-H
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.9 times per million words; the 19,825th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is perch?

Perch appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce perch?

  • UK /pɜːtʃ/
  • US /pɝt͡ʃ/

Perch has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-perch.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with perch?

6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as perch from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹtʃ/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of perch

  • perches plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • perching participle, present
  • perched participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does perch mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Any of the three species of spiny-finned freshwater fish in the genus Perca.

  2. 2

    Acanthopagrus berda

  3. 3

    Distichodus engycephalus, Distichodus rostratus

  4. 4

    AustraliaJohnius belangerii, Macquaria ambigua, Macquaria colonorum, Macquaria novemaculeata, Nemadactylus macropterus

  5. 5

    USKyphosus azureus

  6. 6

    UKLateolabrax japonicus, Tautogolabrus adspersus

  7. 7

    Several similar species in the order Perciformes, such as the grouper.

  8. 8

    A rod, staff, tree branch, ledge, etc., used as a roost by a bird.

  9. 9

    A pole connecting the fore gear and hind gear of a spring carriage; a reach.

  10. 10

    A position that is secure and advantageous, especially one which is prominent or elevated.

  11. 11

    A position that is overly elevated or haughty.

  12. 12

    datedA linear measure of 5+¹⁄₂ yards, equal to a rod, a pole or ¹⁄₄ chain; the related square measure.

  13. 13

    A cubic measure of stonework equal to 16.6 × 1.5 × 1 feet.

  14. 14

    A frame used to examine cloth.

  15. 15

    A bar used to support a candle, especially in a church.

verb

  1. 1

    To rest on a perch (especially, of a bird); to roost.

    The macaw perched on Jim's shoulder.

  2. 2

    To sit upon the edge of something.

  3. 3

    To stay in an elevated position.

  4. 4

    To place something on (or as if on) a perch.

  5. 5

    To inspect cloth using a perch.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Perch in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchperche (fish of the genus Perca), perchoir (rod used by bird), se percher (to rest on a perch, to roost), percher, jucher (to place something on a perch)
GermanBarsch (fish of the genus Perca), Hühnerstange (rod used by bird), niederlassen, setzen, niedersetzen (to rest on a perch, to roost)
Portugueseperca (fish of the genus Perca), poleiro (rod used by bird), empoleirar-se (to rest on a perch, to roost), pércida, percídeo (fish in the taxonomic family Percidae), perciforme (fish in the taxonomic order Perciformes)
Spanishperca (fish of the genus Perca), alcándara, percha (rod used by bird), empercharse, apercharse (to rest on a perch, to roost), emperchar (to place something on a perch)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does perch come from?

From Middle English perche, from Old French perche, from Latin perca, from Ancient Greek πέρκη (pérkē, “perch”), cognate with περκνός (perknós, “dark-spotted”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perḱ-, whence also Old English forn (“trout”), German Forelle (“trout”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after perch