phallus

/ˈfæləs/

//ˈfæləs// noun

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

The verdict

“phallus” is uncommon English (frequency #51,913 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,913
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A penis, especially when erect.

Corpus desk

Index EN-phallus · phallus · English

phallus · rank #51,913 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,913
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH phenomenologi…

Nearest frequency peer: phenomenological (+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 “phallus”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for phallus
PropertyValue
Headwordphallus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfæləs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#51,913
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “phallus” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).phallusfalls 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: “phenomenological” (#51,914), “peritoneal” (#51,910), “penner” (#51,909). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “phallus” is #51,913. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

phallus is uncommon English at frequency #51,913 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfæləs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for phallus in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin phallus (“membrum virile, phallus, or a figure thereof”) from Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós). The correct English form is phallus, spelled P-H-A-L-L-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A penis, especially when erect.
  2. 2
    A representation of an erect penis, especially symbolising fertility or potency.
  3. 3
    The signifier of the desire of the Other, and the signifier of jouissance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The phallus had power to subdue the attacks of demons and the Evil Eye[.]
  2. If the priests of Diana of Ephesus castrated themselves and offered their genitals on the altar, it was because the phallus was the symbol of the dying body.

Etymology

From Latin phallus (“membrum virile, phallus, or a figure thereof”) from Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós).

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 "phallus"?
"phallus" is spelled P-H-A-L-L-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfæləs/.
What does "phallus" mean?
As a noun, "phallus" means: A penis, especially when erect.
How do you pronounce "phallus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "phallus" is /ˈfæləs/. 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 "phallus"?
From Latin phallus (“membrum virile, phallus, or a figure thereof”) from Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós). 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 "phallus", 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