pusillanimous
/ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/
"pusillanimous" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“pusillanimous” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | pusillanimous |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “pusillanimous” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for pusillanimous is 13 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.".
pusillanimous doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Latin pusillanimis (“faint-hearted, timid”) + -ous. The correct English form is pusillanimous, spelled P-U-S-I-L-L-A-N-I-M-O-U-S.
Definition
- 1Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.
Etymology
Derived from Latin pusillanimis (“faint-hearted, timid”) + -ous.
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 “pusillanimous”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-U-S-I-L-L-A-N-I-M-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/ (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.