pillar
pil·lar/ˈpɪlɚ/noun, verb
pillar is spelled P-I-L-L-A-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (pil·lar). It appears 4.4 times per million words in written English, the 12,216th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pillar means “A large post, often used as supporting architecture” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pillar is pillars.
How many letters and syllables are in pillar?
| Letters | 6: P-I-L-L-A-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pil·lar |
| In writing | 4.4 times per million words; the 12,216th 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 pillar?
Pillar appears 4.4 times per million words in written English, the 12,216th 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 pillar?
- UK /ˈpɪlə/
- US /ˈpɪlɚ/
- /ˈpɪllə(r)/
Pillar has 2 syllables, split pil·lar in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-pillar.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with pillar?
8 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as pillar from its last stressed vowel (/ɪləɹ/):
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 pillar
- pillars plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- pillaring participle, present
- pillared participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pillar mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A large post, often used as supporting architecture.
- 2
Something resembling such a structure.
a pillar of smoke
- 3
An essential part of something that provides support.
He's a pillar of the community.
- 4
A portable ornamental column, formerly carried before a cardinal, as emblematic of his support to the church.
- 5
The centre of the volta, ring, or manege ground, around which a horse turns.
- 6
The body from the hips over the core to the shoulders.
- 7
A vertical, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation.
verb
- 1
To provide with pillars or added strength as if from pillars.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pillar in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense large post, often used as supporting architecture:
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 pillar come from?
From Middle English piler, from Old French pilier, from Medieval Latin or Vulgar Latin *pilāre (“a pillar”), from Latin pila (“a pillar, pier, mole”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).