polyhedron

/ˌpɒlɪˈhiːdɹən/

//ˌpɒlɪˈhiːdɹən// noun

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

"polyhedron" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“polyhedron” is uncommon English (frequency #88,723 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,723
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A solid figure with many flat faces and straight edges.

Corpus desk

Index EN-polyhedron · polyhedron · English

polyhedron · rank #88,723 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #88,723
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH polyhedra

Nearest frequency peer: polyhedra (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “polyhedron”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “polyhedron” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for polyhedron
PropertyValue
Headwordpolyhedron
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɒlɪˈhiːdɹən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#88,723
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “polyhedron” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).polyhedronfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “polyhedra” (#88,722), “poot” (#88,724), “potatoe” (#88,727). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “polyhedron” is #88,723. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

polyhedron is uncommon English at frequency #88,723 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌpɒlɪˈhiːdɹən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for polyhedron, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin polyedron, from Ancient Greek πολύεδρος (polúedros, “having many seats”), from πολυ- (polu-, “many”) + ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”); compare French polyèdre. By surface analysis, poly- + -hedron. The correct English form is polyhedron, spelled P-O-L-Y-H-E-D-R-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A solid figure with many flat faces and straight edges.
  2. 2
    A polyscope, or multiplying glass.
  3. 3
    A stage in the growth of Hydrodictyon, when the resting spore breaks up into several megazoospores that put out horn-like appendages; these polyhedra break up into zoospores.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how polyhedron appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Of the convex polyhedra with regular faces, the only ones that have tetrahedral, octahedral, or icosahedral symmetry are the Platonic and Archimedean solids.

Etymology

From New Latin polyedron, from Ancient Greek πολύεδρος (polúedros, “having many seats”), from πολυ- (polu-, “many”) + ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”); compare French polyèdre. By surface analysis, poly- + -hedron.

Synonyms

polyhedron

This word in other languages

poliedro(Español)polyèdre(Français)Polyeder(Deutsch)poliedro(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 "polyhedron"?
"polyhedron" is spelled P-O-L-Y-H-E-D-R-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɒlɪˈhiːdɹən/.
What does "polyhedron" mean?
As a noun, "polyhedron" means: A solid figure with many flat faces and straight edges.
How do you pronounce "polyhedron"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "polyhedron" is /ˌpɒlɪˈhiːdɹən/. 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 "polyhedron"?
From New Latin polyedron, from Ancient Greek πολύεδρος (polúedros, “having many seats”), from πολυ- (polu-, “many”) + ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”); compare French polyèdre. By surface analysis, poly- + -hedron. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "polyhedron", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

plasticine#88,716prebendary#88,730permanency#88,704protractor#88,742

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list