picayune
pic·a·yune/ˌpɪkəˈjun/noun, adjective
picayune is spelled P-I-C-A-Y-U-N-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (pic·a·yune). It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,714th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, picayune means “A small coin of the value of six-and-a-quarter cents; a Spanish coin with a value of half a real; a fippenny bit” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of picayune is picayunes.
How many letters and syllables are in picayune?
| Letters | 8: P-I-C-A-Y-U-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: pic·a·yune |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 58,714th 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 picayune?
Picayune appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,714th 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 picayune?
- UK /ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/
- US /ˌpɪkəˈjun/
- US /-ki-/
Picayune has 3 syllables, split pic·a·yune in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-picayune.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with picayune?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as picayune from its last stressed vowel (/un/):
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 picayune
- picayunes plural
- more picayune comparative
- most picayune superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does picayune mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
USA small coin of the value of six-and-a-quarter cents; a Spanish coin with a value of half a real; a fippenny bit.
- 2
USarchaicA coin worth five cents (a nickel) or some other low value.
- 3
USinformalA person regarded as unworthy of respect or useless; also, something of very little value; a trifle.
- 4
USinformalAn argument, fact, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue or fails to make any difference.
adjective
- 1
USinformalOf little consequence; small and of little importance; petty, trivial.
- 2
USinformalChildishly spiteful; tending to go on about unimportant things; small-minded.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does picayune come from?
The noun is borrowed from southern French picaillon, pécaillon, picayon (“type of small foreign coin; (informal, especially in the plural) cash, money”), and from its etymon Occitan picalhon, picaioun (“cheaply made Savoyan-Piedmontese coin that was rapidly demonetized; (by extension) cash, money”), probably from Occitan piquar (“to ring (bells); to knock, strike”) (referring to the clinking of coins in a pocket), originally imitative. The adjective is derived from the noun.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).