pithy
/ˈpɪθi/adjective
pithy is spelled P-I-T-H-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, pithy means “Concise and meaningful” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pithy?
| Letters | 5: P-I-T-H-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 46,473rd 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 pithy?
Pithy appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd 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 pithy?
- /ˈpɪθi/
Pithy has 2 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-pithy.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pithy
- pithier comparative
- pithiest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pithy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Concise and meaningful.
- 2
Of, like, or abounding in pith; spongy or having small holes or pits.
- 3
ScotlandarchaicVigorous, powerful, strong; substantial.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pithy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bref, concis, laconique, sommaire, succinct , moelleux |
| German | kernig, knackig, markig, prägnant |
| Portuguese | conciso, sentencioso, lacónico, sucinto, incisivo |
| Spanish | conciso, lacónico, lapidario, incisivo, sucinto |
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 pithy come from?
From Middle English pithy, pythy, equivalent to pith + -y.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).