physiognomy
/fɪziˈɑ(ɡ)nəmi/noun
physiognomy is spelled P-H-Y-S-I-O-G-N-O-M-Y: 11 letters. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 84,254th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, physiognomy means “The art or pseudoscience of deducing the predominant temper and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of physiognomy is physiognomies.
How many letters and syllables are in physiognomy?
| Letters | 11: P-H-Y-S-I-O-G-N-O-M-Y |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 84,254th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; 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 physiognomy?
Physiognomy appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 84,254th 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 physiognomy?
- UK /fɪziˈɒnəmi/
- UK /fɪziˈɒɡnəmi/
- US /fɪziˈɑ(ɡ)nəmi/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-physiognomy.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with physiognomy?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as physiognomy from its last stressed vowel (/ɑnəmi/):
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 physiognomy
- physiognomies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does physiognomy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The art or pseudoscience of deducing the predominant temper and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially from the features of the face.
- 2
The face or countenance, with respect to the temper of the mind; particular configuration, cast, or expression of countenance, as denoting character.
- 3
The art of telling fortunes by inspection of the features.
- 4
The general appearance or aspect of a thing, without reference to its scientific characteristics.
the physiognomy of a plant; of a meteor
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Physiognomy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | physiognomonie |
| German | Physiognomik |
| Portuguese | fisiognomia, fisiognomonia |
| Spanish | fisiognomía, fisiognómica , fisionomía, fisonomía |
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 physiognomy come from?
Inherited from Middle English phisonomie, from Anglo-Norman phisenomie, Middle French phisonomie et al., ultimately from Late Latin physiognomia, from Ancient Greek φυσιογνωμία (phusiognōmía, “physiology”), from φύσις (phúsis, “physique, appearance”) + γνώμη (gnṓmē, “means of knowing”). Middle English phisonomie would regularly develop into *physnomy /ˈfɪznəmi/ (forms of this type are common in Early Modern English, such as fisnomie in All's Well that Ends Well); the modern spelling and pronunciation are due to learned influence.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).