pinnacle
/ˈpɪnəkəl/noun, verb
pinnacle is spelled P-I-N-N-A-C-L-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pinnacle means “The highest point” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pinnacle is pinnacles.
How many letters and syllables are in pinnacle?
| Letters | 8: P-I-N-N-A-C-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.8 times per million words; the 16,005th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pinnacle?
Pinnacle appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th 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 pinnacle?
- /ˈpɪnəkəl/
Pinnacle has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-pinnacle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pinnacle
- pinnacles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- pinnacling participle, present
- pinnacled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pinnacle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The highest point.
- 2
A tall, sharp and craggy rock or mountain.
- 3
An all-time high; a point of greatest achievement or success.
- 4
An upright member, generally ending in a small spire, used to finish a buttress, to constitute a part in a proportion, as where pinnacles flank a gable or spire.
verb
- 1
To place on a pinnacle.
- 2
To build or furnish with a pinnacle or pinnacles.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pinnacle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cime , pic , pinacle |
| German | Gipfel , Felsnadel, Felsturm , Pinakel, Fiale , Höhepunkt |
| Spanish | cumbre, pináculo , pico , ápice |
| Portuguese | pináculo |
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 pinnacle come from?
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French pinacle, pinnacle, from Late Latin pinnāculum (“a peak, pinnacle”), from Latin pinna (“a pinnacle”); see pin. Doublet of panache.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).