Pyongyang

/ˌpjɔŋˈjæŋ/

//ˌpjɔŋˈjæŋ// name

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

"pyongyang" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Pyongyang” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,181. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,181
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The capital city of North Korea.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pyongyang · Pyongyang · English

Pyongyang · rank #25,181 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,181
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pug

Nearest frequency peer: pug (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Pyongyang”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Pyongyang” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Pyongyang
PropertyValue
HeadwordPyongyang
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˌpjɔŋˈjæŋ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#25,181
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Pyongyang” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Pyongyang lands here:

#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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around Pyongyang (IPA /ˌpjɔŋˈjæŋ/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #25,181 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for Pyongyang, with forms such as "poyngyang", "ppyongyang", and "pynogyang". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Korean 평양(平壤) (Pyeong'yang, literally “flat land”), from the McCune–Reischauer (MR) romanisation P'yŏngyang, a Sino-Korean word from 平壤. The correct English form is Pyongyang, spelled P-Y-O-N-G-Y-A-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The capital city of North Korea.
  2. 2
    The North Korean government.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Pyongyang appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The British and subsequent Foreign Treaties with Korea stipulated for the opening of a further Treaty Port, Yang-hwa-chin on the river Han, as a river-port for the capital. If the steam-traffic on the Han is developed, Yong-san or Byong-san, which is only three miles from Söul, might be selected. The greatest advantage would result to the country from the…
  2. Forty-seven countries host a North Korean embassy, while 24 have an embassy in Pyongyang. Most of the countries that do not have an embassy in North Korea handle their diplomatic affairs with the country from their embassies in neighboring China or South Korea.

Etymology

Borrowed from Korean 평양(平壤) (Pyeong'yang, literally “flat land”), from the McCune–Reischauer (MR) romanisation P'yŏngyang, a Sino-Korean word from 平壤.

Synonyms

HeijōPingrangP'ing-jangPingjangPengyang

This word in other languages

Pyongyang(Français)Pjöngjang(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • poyngyang
  • ppyongyang
  • pynogyang
  • pyognyang
  • pyongayng
  • pyonggyang
  • pyongyagn
  • pyongyangg
  • pyongyanng
  • pyongynag
  • pyongyyang
  • pyonngyang
  • pyonygang
  • pyyongyang
  • ypongyang

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Pyongyang - 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.

poyngyang2ppyongyang1pynogyang2pyognyang2pyongayng2pyonggyang1pyongyagn2pyongyangg1
Edit distance from "Pyongyang"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Pyongyang"?
"Pyongyang" is spelled P-Y-O-N-G-Y-A-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpjɔŋˈjæŋ/.
What does "Pyongyang" mean?
As a proper noun, "Pyongyang" means: The capital city of North Korea.
What are common misspellings of "Pyongyang"?
Common misspellings include "poyngyang", "ppyongyang", "pynogyang", "pyognyang", "pyongayng". The correct spelling is "Pyongyang".
How do you pronounce "Pyongyang"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Pyongyang" is /ˌpjɔŋˈjæŋ/. 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 "Pyongyang"?
Borrowed from Korean 평양(平壤) (Pyeong'yang, literally “flat land”), from the McCune–Reischauer (MR) romanisation P'yŏngyang, a Sino-Korean word from 平壤. 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 "Pyongyang", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

protester#25,179polyester#25,176pneumatic#25,174scapegoat#25,197

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

polynomial15 variantsshipwreck15 variantssuperhuman15 variantsTajikistan15 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "Pyongyang". Here's where to go from here.

  • 15 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #25,181 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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