prestige
/pɹɛsˈtiːd͡ʒ/noun, adjective, verb
prestige is spelled P-R-E-S-T-I-G-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 5.6 times per million words in written English, the 10,358th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, prestige means “The quality of how good the reputation of something or someone is, how favourably something or someone is regarded” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of prestige is prestiges.
How many letters and syllables are in prestige?
| Letters | 8: P-R-E-S-T-I-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.6 times per million words; the 10,358th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is prestige?
Prestige appears 5.6 times per million words in written English, the 10,358th 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 prestige?
- /pɹɛsˈtiːd͡ʒ/
- /pɹɛsˈtiːʒ/
- /pɹəsˈtiːd͡ʒ/
Prestige has 2 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: En-us-prestige.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of prestige
- prestiges plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- prestiging participle, present
- prestiged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does prestige mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The quality of how good the reputation of something or someone is, how favourably something or someone is regarded.
Oxford has a university of very high prestige.
- 2
obsoleteDelusion; illusion; trick.
- 3
The act of starting over at an earlier point in a video game with some type of bonus or reward.
- 4
A level, rank, or tier corresponding to prestige.
adjective
- 1
Regarded as relatively prestigious; often, considered the standard language or language variety, or a part of such a variety.
verb
- 1
To start over at an earlier point in a video game with some type of bonus or reward.
- 2
To start (something) over at an earlier point in a video game with some type of bonus or reward.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Prestige in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense dignity, status, or esteem:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prestige |
| German | Prestige, Ansehen, Geltung, Wertschätzung |
| Portuguese | prestígio |
| Spanish | prestigio, prestancia |
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 prestige come from?
From French prestige (“illusion, fascination, enchantment, prestige”), from Latin praestīgium (“a delusion, an illusion”). Despite the phonetic similarities and the old meaning of “delusion, illusion, trick”, the word has a different root than prestidigitator (“conjurer”) and prestidigitation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).