popinjay
/ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/
"popinjay" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“popinjay” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A parrot.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | popinjay |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “popinjay” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for popinjay is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Zero misspellings are on record for popinjay in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English popinjay, popyngeay, popingay, popejay, from Anglo-Norman papegai, papejoie et al., (northern) Old French papejai (“parrot”), probably from Old Occitan papagay (compare Occitan papagai, Catalan papagai), ultimately from Arabic بَبْغَاء (… The correct English form is popinjay, spelled P-O-P-I-N-J-A-Y.
Definition
- 1A parrot.
- 2A decorative image of a parrot on a tapestry, cloth etc.
- 3A vain, gaudy person; someone who is shallow or superficial.
- 4A target to shoot at, typically stuffed with feathers or plumage.
- 5The green woodpecker, Picus viridis.
Etymology
From Middle English popinjay, popyngeay, popingay, popejay, from Anglo-Norman papegai, papejoie et al., (northern) Old French papejai (“parrot”), probably from Old Occitan papagay (compare Occitan papagai, Catalan papagai), ultimately from Arabic بَبْغَاء (babḡāʔ, “parrot”), of imitative origin.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “popinjay”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-O-P-I-N-J-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɒpɪnd͡ʒeɪ/ (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
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.