pergola

/ˈpɜːɡələ/

//ˈpɜːɡələ// noun

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

The verdict

“pergola” is uncommon English (frequency #66,189 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,189
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A framework in the form of a passageway of columns that supports a trelliswork roof; used to support and train climbing plants.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pergola · pergola · English

pergola · rank #66,189 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,189
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH peripatetic

Nearest frequency peer: peripatetic (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “pergola”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pergola
PropertyValue
Headwordpergola
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɜːɡələ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#66,189
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pergola” in English

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).pergolafalls 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: “peripatetic” (#66,190), “penetrative” (#66,186), “pediment” (#66,184). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pergola” is #66,189. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pergola is uncommon English at frequency #66,189 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɜːɡələ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for pergola in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Italian pergola, from Latin pergula. The correct English form is pergola, spelled P-E-R-G-O-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A framework in the form of a passageway of columns that supports a trelliswork roof; used to support and train climbing plants.
  2. 2
    Such a framework employed to provide shade, especially over a patio.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The thick vegetation met overhead, interlacing into a natural pergola, and through this tunnel of verdure in a golden twilight flowed the green, pellucid river, beautiful in itself, but marvelous from the strange tints thrown by the vivid light from above filtered and tempered in its fall.
  2. By the little garden pergola open to the winds some fluttered peacocks were blotted nervelessly amid the dripping trees, their heads sunk back beneath their wings: while in the pergola itself, like a fallen storm-cloud, lolled a negress, her levelled, polecat eyes semi-veiled by the nebulous alchemy of the rainbow.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian pergola, from Latin pergula.

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); 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 "pergola"?
"pergola" is spelled P-E-R-G-O-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɜːɡələ/.
What does "pergola" mean?
As a noun, "pergola" means: A framework in the form of a passageway of columns that supports a trelliswork roof; used to support and train climbing plants.
How do you pronounce "pergola"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pergola" is /ˈpɜːɡələ/. 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 "pergola"?
Borrowed from Italian pergola, from Latin pergula. 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 "pergola", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list