peristyle

/ˈpɛɹɪstaɪl/

//ˈpɛɹɪstaɪl// noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A colonnade surrounding a courtyard, temple, etc., or the yard enclosed by such columns.

Corpus desk

Index EN-peristyle · peristyle · English

peristyle · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 peristyle
PropertyValue
Headwordperistyle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛɹɪstaɪl/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “peristyle” in English

peristyleranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

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

No misspelling variants are generated for peristyle in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. 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: From French péristyle, from Classical Latin peristȳlum, from περίστυλον (perístulon), from περι- (peri-, “around”) + στῦλος (stûlos, “pillar”). The correct English form is peristyle, spelled P-E-R-I-S-T-Y-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A colonnade surrounding a courtyard, temple, etc., or the yard enclosed by such columns.
  2. 2
    A porch surrounded by columns.
  3. 3
    A sacred roofed courtyard with a central pillar (the potomitan), used as a space for voodoo ceremonies, either alone or as an adjunct to an enclosed temple or altar-room.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. One cannot, for example, see the Temple of Æsculapius as one stands in the fine open courtyard as it was intended one should do; the interstices on that side of the peristyle have been blocked by Venetian Gothic buildings.
  2. The peristyle is a roofed structure, open at the sides, in which most of the ceremonials and dances take place.

Etymology

From French péristyle, from Classical Latin peristȳlum, from περίστυλον (perístulon), from περι- (peri-, “around”) + στῦλος (stûlos, “pillar”).

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 "peristyle"?
"peristyle" is spelled P-E-R-I-S-T-Y-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛɹɪstaɪl/.
What does "peristyle" mean?
As a noun, "peristyle" means: A colonnade surrounding a courtyard, temple, etc., or the yard enclosed by such columns.
How do you pronounce "peristyle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peristyle" is /ˈpɛɹɪstaɪl/. 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 "peristyle"?
From French péristyle, from Classical Latin peristȳlum, from περίστυλον (perístulon), from περι- (peri-, “around”) + στῦλος (stûlos, “pillar”). 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