pith

/pɪθ/

//pɪθ// noun

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

"pith" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pith” is an uncommon English word, ranked #55,647 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#55,647
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees.

Key facts for pith
PropertyValue
Headwordpith
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɪθ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#55,647
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pith” 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). pith lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pith is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɪθ/. Corpus data places it at rank #55,647 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for pith, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from Middle English pith, pithe (“soft interior; pith, pulp”) [and other forms], from Old English piþa [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *piþô, from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan); further etymology unknown. Doublet of pit (“seed o… The correct English form is pith, spelled P-I-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees.
  2. 2
    The albedo (“whitish inner portion of the rind”) of a citrus fruit.
  3. 3
    Senses relating to humans and animals.
  4. 4
    Senses relating to humans and animals.
  5. 5
    Senses relating to humans and animals.
  6. 6
    Senses relating to humans and animals.
  7. 7
    The soft inner portion of a loaf of bread.
  8. 8
    The central or innermost part of something; the core, the heart.
  9. 9
    The essential or vital part of something; the essence.
  10. 10
    Physical power or strength; force, might.
  11. 11
    A quality of courage and endurance; backbone, mettle, spine.
  12. 12
    The energy, force, or power of speech or writing; specifically, such force or power due to conciseness; punch, punchiness.
  13. 13
    Chiefly in of (great) pith and moment: gravity, importance, substance, weight.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English pith, pithe (“soft interior; pith, pulp”) [and other forms], from Old English piþa [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *piþô, from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan); further etymology unknown. Doublet of pit (“seed or stone inside a fruit”). The verb Middle English pethen (“to give courage or strength”), derived from the noun pith (noun), did not survive into modern English. Cognates * Dutch peen (“carrot”) * Middle Low German peddek, peddik, piddek (“bone marrow; medulla; spinal cord; inner part of a horn or quill; (figurative) core, essence”) (the last spelling rare) (Low German Peddik (“core; pulp”)) * West Frisian piid (“pulp, kernel”)

This word in other languages

medula(Español)moelle(Français)Mark(Deutsch)medula(Português)

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 "pith"?
"pith" is spelled P-I-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /pɪθ/.
What does "pith" mean?
As a noun, "pith" means: The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees.
How do you pronounce "pith"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pith" is /pɪθ/. 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 "pith"?
The noun is derived from Middle English pith, pithe (“soft interior; pith, pulp”) [and other forms], from Old English piþa [and other forms], from Proto-Germanic *piþô, from earlier *piþō (oblique *pittan); further etymology unknown. Doublet of pi... 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 “pith”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-I-T-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɪθ/ (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
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