podium
/ˈpoʊ.di.əm/noun, verb
podium is spelled P-O-D-I-U-M: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 4.3 times per million words in written English, the 12,397th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, podium means “A platform on which to stand, as when conducting an orchestra or preaching at a pulpit; any low platform or dais” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of podium is podia or podiums.
How many letters and syllables are in podium?
| Letters | 6: P-O-D-I-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.3 times per million words; the 12,397th 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 podium?
Podium appears 4.3 times per million words in written English, the 12,397th 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 podium?
- UK /ˈpəʊ.di.əm/
- US /ˈpoʊ.di.əm/
- UK /ˈpəʉ.di.əm/
Podium 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-podium.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with podium?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as podium from its last stressed vowel (/oʊdiəm/):
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 podium
- podia plural
- podiums plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- podiuming participle, present
- podiumed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does podium mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A platform on which to stand, as when conducting an orchestra or preaching at a pulpit; any low platform or dais.
- 2
proscribedA stand used to hold notes when speaking publicly.
- 3
A steepled platform upon which the three competitors with the best results may stand when being handed their medals or prize.
- 4
A result amongst the best three at a competition.
- 5
The dwarf wall surrounding the arena of an amphitheatre, from the top of which the seats began.
- 6
The masonry under the stylobate of a temple, sometimes a mere foundation, sometimes containing chambers.
- 7
The lower portion of a high-rise building, typically of several storeys tall and acts as a foundation to the tower(s) above it.
- 8
A foot or footstalk.
verb
- 1
colloquialTo finish in the top three at an event or competition.
The swimmer podiumed three times at the Olympics.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Podium in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | podium |
| German | Podium , Pult, Rednerpult , Treppchen, Podest |
| Portuguese | pódio |
| Spanish | podio, pódium, podium |
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 podium come from?
Borrowed from Latin podium, from Ancient Greek πόδιον (pódion, “base”), a diminutive of πούς (poús, “foot”). Doublet of pew.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).