pimento

/pɪˈmɛntəʊ/

//pɪˈmɛntəʊ// noun

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

The verdict

“pimento” is uncommon English (frequency #75,299 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,299
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A red sweet pepper, a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, used to make relish, stuffed into olives, or used as spice.

Key facts for pimento
PropertyValue
Headwordpimento
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɪˈmɛntəʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#75,299
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pimento” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). pimento lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pimento is uncommon English at frequency #75,299 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /pɪˈmɛntəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for pimento in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Portuguese pimento (“bell pepper; later any pepper”), similar to Spanish pimiento, from Latin pigmentum (“coloring; colorful thing”), from pingo (“paint”) and -mentum (suffix denoting instruments and results of actions). Doublet of pigment, pi… The correct English form is pimento, spelled P-I-M-E-N-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A red sweet pepper, a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, used to make relish, stuffed into olives, or used as spice.
  2. 2
    A tropical berry used to make allspice.
  3. 3
    The tree on which it grows.

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese pimento (“bell pepper; later any pepper”), similar to Spanish pimiento, from Latin pigmentum (“coloring; colorful thing”), from pingo (“paint”) and -mentum (suffix denoting instruments and results of actions). Doublet of pigment, piment, and pimiento.

Synonyms

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 "pimento"?
"pimento" is spelled P-I-M-E-N-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is /pɪˈmɛntəʊ/.
What does "pimento" mean?
As a noun, "pimento" means: A red sweet pepper, a cultivar of Capsicum annuum, used to make relish, stuffed into olives, or used as spice.
How do you pronounce "pimento"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pimento" is /pɪˈmɛntəʊ/. 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 "pimento"?
Borrowed from Portuguese pimento (“bell pepper; later any pepper”), similar to Spanish pimiento, from Latin pigmentum (“coloring; colorful thing”), from pingo (“paint”) and -mentum (suffix denoting instruments and results of actions). Doublet of p... 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.

Using “pimento”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-I-M-E-N-T-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɪˈmɛntəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list