polyglot

/ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/

//ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt// noun

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

"polyglot" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“polyglot” is uncommon English (frequency #61,033 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,033
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages.

Key facts for polyglot
PropertyValue
Headwordpolyglot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#61,033
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “polyglot” 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). polyglot 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

polyglot is uncommon English at frequency #61,033 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for polyglot, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *glōgʰs Borrowed from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), alternative form of Ancient Greek πολῠ́γλωσσος (polŭ́glōssos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), from πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s, “a lot of, many”) (u… The correct English form is polyglot, spelled P-O-L-Y-G-L-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages.
  2. 2
    One who has mastered (especially when able to speak) several languages.
  3. 3
    A mixture of languages or nomenclatures.
  4. 4
    A file that can be interpreted validly as multiple formats.
  5. 5
    A program written to be valid in multiple programming languages.
  6. 6
    A bird able to imitate the sounds of other birds.

Etymology

PIE word *glōgʰs Borrowed from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), alternative form of Ancient Greek πολῠ́γλωσσος (polŭ́glōssos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), from πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s, “a lot of, many”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)) + Attic Greek γλῶττα (glôtta), Ancient Greek γλῶσσᾰ (glôssă, “tongue; language”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *glōgʰs (“tip of corn”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming o-grade action nouns). The English word is analysable as poly- + -glot. Noun sense 1 (“publication in several languages”) is probably derived from Late Latin polyglottus, from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos): see above.

This word in other languages

políglota(Español)polyglotte(Français)Polyglotte(Deutsch)poliglota(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 "polyglot"?
"polyglot" is spelled P-O-L-Y-G-L-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/.
What does "polyglot" mean?
As a noun, "polyglot" means: A publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages.
How do you pronounce "polyglot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "polyglot" is /ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/. 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 "polyglot"?
PIE word *glōgʰs Borrowed from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), alternative form of Ancient Greek πολῠ́γλωσσος (polŭ́glōssos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), from πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s, “a lot of,... 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 “polyglot”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-L-Y-G-L-O-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/ (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