polyp

/ˈpɑlɪp/

//ˈpɑlɪp// noun

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

"polyp" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“polyp” is uncommon English (frequency #60,383 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,383
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An abnormal growth protruding from a mucous membrane.

Corpus desk

Index EN-polyp · polyp · English

polyp · rank #60,383 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #60,383
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH polycystic

Nearest frequency peer: polycystic (-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 “polyp”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for polyp
PropertyValue
Headwordpolyp
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɑlɪp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#60,383
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “polyp” 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).polypfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “polycystic” (#60,382), “pompano” (#60,384), “politicization” (#60,381). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “polyp” is #60,383. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

polyp is uncommon English at frequency #60,383 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɑlɪp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for polyp in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin polypus (“a polyp, a polypus in the nose”), from Ancient Greek πολύπους (polúpous, from πολύς (polús, “many”) + πούς (poús, “foot”)). Doublet of polypus. The correct English form is polyp, spelled P-O-L-Y-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    An abnormal growth protruding from a mucous membrane.
  2. 2
    A cylindrical coelenterate, such as the hydra, having a mouth surrounded with tentacles.
  3. 3
    A cylindrical coelenterate, such as the hydra, having a mouth surrounded with tentacles.

Etymology

From Latin polypus (“a polyp, a polypus in the nose”), from Ancient Greek πολύπους (polúpous, from πολύς (polús, “many”) + πούς (poús, “foot”)). Doublet of polypus.

This word in other languages

pólipo(Español)polype(Français)Polyp(Deutsch)

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 "polyp"?
"polyp" is spelled P-O-L-Y-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɑlɪp/.
What does "polyp" mean?
As a noun, "polyp" means: An abnormal growth protruding from a mucous membrane.
How do you pronounce "polyp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "polyp" is /ˈpɑlɪp/. 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 "polyp"?
From Latin polypus (“a polyp, a polypus in the nose”), from Ancient Greek πολύπους (polúpous, from πολύς (polús, “many”) + πούς (poús, “foot”)). Doublet of polypus. 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 "polyp", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pried#60,392Platz#60,373piste#60,370punto#60,400

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list