pylon

/ˈpaɪ.lɒn/

//ˈpaɪ.lɒn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pylon” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #43,325 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#43,325
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

pylon vs Python
50% similar
pylon vs pon
60% similar
pylon vs plan
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for pylon
PropertyValue
Headwordpylon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpaɪ.lɒn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#43,325
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pylon” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pylon is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpaɪ.lɒn/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,325 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for pylon, with forms such as "plyon", "ppylon", and "pyllon". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "Python", "pon", "plan", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πυλών (pulṓn, “gateway”). The correct English form is pylon, spelled P-Y-L-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple.
  2. 2
    A tower-like structure, usually one of a series, used to support high-voltage electricity cables.
  3. 3
    A tall steel or concrete tower from which cables are strung.
  4. 4
    A lighting mast; a freestanding support for floodlights.
  5. 5
    A structure used to mount engines, missiles etc., to the underside of an aircraft wing or fuselage.
  6. 6
    A starting derrick for an aeroplane.
  7. 7
    A post, tower, etc. as on an aerodrome, or flying ground, serving to bound or mark a prescribed course of flight.
  8. 8
    An obelisk.
  9. 9
    A traffic cone.
  10. 10
    An orange marker designating one of the four corners of the end zone in American football.
  11. 11
    An ineffective, useless player.
  12. 12
    A rigid prosthesis for the lower leg.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πυλών (pulṓn, “gateway”).

This word in other languages

torre(Español)pylône(Français)Pylon(Deutsch)torre(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: plyon,ppylon,pyllon,pylno,pylonn,pyoln,pyylon,yplon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pylon - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

plyon2ppylon1pyllon1pylno2pylonn1pyoln2pyylon1yplon2
Edit distance from "pylon"

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 "pylon"?
"pylon" is spelled P-Y-L-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpaɪ.lɒn/.
What does "pylon" mean?
As a noun, "pylon" means: A gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple.
What words are commonly confused with "pylon"?
"pylon" is commonly confused with "Python", "pon", "plan". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pylon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pylon" is /ˈpaɪ.lɒn/. 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 "pylon"?
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πυλών (pulṓn, “gateway”). 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.

Using “pylon”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-Y-L-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpaɪ.lɒn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Python” - see the side-by-side comparison. pylon vs Python
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list