sanctum
/ˈsæŋktəm/noun
sanctum is spelled S-A-N-C-T-U-M: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, sanctum means “A place set apart, as with a sanctum sanctorum; a sacred or private place; a private retreat or workroom” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of sanctum is sanctums or sancta.
How many letters and syllables are in sanctum?
| Letters | 7: S-A-N-C-T-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,176th 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 sanctum?
Sanctum appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th 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 sanctum?
- /ˈsæŋktəm/
Sanctum 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-au-sanctum.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of sanctum
- sanctums plural
- sancta plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sanctum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A place set apart, as with a sanctum sanctorum; a sacred or private place; a private retreat or workroom.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sanctum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a place set apart:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sanctuaire |
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 sanctum come from?
From Latin sānctum (“that which is holy”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).