pillar

/ˈpɪlə/

//ˈpɪlə// noun

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

"pillar" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pillar” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,296. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,296
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large post, often used as supporting architecture.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pillar · pillar · English

pillar · rank #12,296 · 6 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,296
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pest

Nearest frequency peer: pest (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “pillar”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “pillar” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

pillar vs pills
67% similar
pillar vs polar
67% similar
pillar vs Pixar
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for pillar
PropertyValue
Headwordpillar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪlə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#12,296
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “pillar”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).pillarlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “pest” (#12,295), “pedal” (#12,294), “plausible” (#12,298). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pillar” is #12,296. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around pillar (IPA /ˈpɪlə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,296 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for pillar, with forms such as "ipllar", "pilalr", and "pillarr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "pills", "polar", "Pixar", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English piler, from Old French pilier, from Medieval Latin or Vulgar Latin *pilāre (“a pillar”), from Latin pila (“a pillar, pier, mole”). The correct English form is pillar, spelled P-I-L-L-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large post, often used as supporting architecture.
  2. 2
    Something resembling such a structure.
  3. 3
    An essential part of something that provides support.
  4. 4
    A portable ornamental column, formerly carried before a cardinal, as emblematic of his support to the church.
  5. 5
    The centre of the volta, ring, or manege ground, around which a horse turns.
  6. 6
    The body from the hips over the core to the shoulders.
  7. 7
    A vertical, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a pillar of smoke
  2. He's a pillar of the community.

Etymology

From Middle English piler, from Old French pilier, from Medieval Latin or Vulgar Latin *pilāre (“a pillar”), from Latin pila (“a pillar, pier, mole”).

Synonyms

columnsile

This word in other languages

pilar(Español)pilier(Français)Pfeiler(Deutsch)pilar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ipllar
  • pilalr
  • pillarr
  • pillra
  • plilar
  • ppillar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pillar - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ipllar2pilalr2pillarr1pillra2plilar2ppillar1
Edit distance from "pillar"

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 "pillar"?
"pillar" is spelled P-I-L-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪlə/.
What does "pillar" mean?
As a noun, "pillar" means: A large post, often used as supporting architecture.
What words are commonly confused with "pillar"?
"pillar" is commonly confused with "pills", "polar", "Pixar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pillar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pillar" is /ˈpɪlə/. 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 "pillar"?
From Middle English piler, from Old French pilier, from Medieval Latin or Vulgar Latin *pilāre (“a pillar”), from Latin pila (“a pillar, pier, mole”). 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 "pillar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mutant#12,280Morton#12,277Romney#12,317Lisbon#12,272

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

rift6 variantsKoch6 variantsswell6 variantsdummy6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list