Pericles

/ˈpɛɹɪkliːz/

//ˈpɛɹɪkliːz// name

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

"pericles" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Pericles” is uncommon English (frequency #57,631 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,631
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An Ancient Greek politician.

Key facts for Pericles
PropertyValue
HeadwordPericles
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈpɛɹɪkliːz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#57,631
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Pericles” 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). Pericles lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Pericles is uncommon English at frequency #57,631 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈpɛɹɪkliːz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Pericles, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Periclēs, from Ancient Greek Περικλῆς (Periklês, “far-famed”), from περί (perí, “around”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”). The correct English form is Pericles, spelled P-E-R-I-C-L-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    An Ancient Greek politician.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Ancient Greek, of mostly historical usage

Etymology

From Latin Periclēs, from Ancient Greek Περικλῆς (Periklês, “far-famed”), from περί (perí, “around”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”).

This word in other languages

Périclès(Français)

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 "Pericles"?
"Pericles" is spelled P-E-R-I-C-L-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛɹɪkliːz/.
What does "Pericles" mean?
As a proper noun, "Pericles" means: An Ancient Greek politician.
How do you pronounce "Pericles"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Pericles" is /ˈpɛɹɪkliːz/. 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 "Pericles"?
From Latin Periclēs, from Ancient Greek Περικλῆς (Periklês, “far-famed”), from περί (perí, “around”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”). 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 “Pericles”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-I-C-L-E-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɛɹɪkliːz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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