Sappho

/ˈsæfoʊ/

//ˈsæfoʊ// name

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

"sappho" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Sappho” is uncommon English (frequency #59,690 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,690
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An Ancient Greek female name, particularly borne by a poetess from Lesbos who lived between 630 and 570 BC (exact dates unknown).

Corpus desk

Index EN-sappho · Sappho · English

Sappho · rank #59,690 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,690
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH saison

Nearest frequency peer: saison (-3 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.

Long-tail ranks near “Sappho”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “Sappho” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Sappho
PropertyValue
HeadwordSappho
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈsæfoʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#59,690
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Sappho” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “saison” (#59,687), “saboteur” (#59,686), “Schuman” (#59,694). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “Sappho” is #59,690. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Sappho is uncommon English at frequency #59,690 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈsæfoʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Sappho has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Sapphō, from Ancient Greek Σαπφώ (Sapphṓ). The correct English form is Sappho, spelled S-A-P-P-H-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    An Ancient Greek female name, particularly borne by a poetess from Lesbos who lived between 630 and 570 BC (exact dates unknown).
  2. 2
    80 Sappho, a main belt asteroid.
  3. 3
    A female given name from Ancient Greek.

Etymology

From Latin Sapphō, from Ancient Greek Σαπφώ (Sapphṓ).

This word in other languages

Safo(Español)Sappho(Français)Safo(Português)

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 "Sappho"?
"Sappho" is spelled S-A-P-P-H-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsæfoʊ/.
What does "Sappho" mean?
As a proper noun, "Sappho" means: An Ancient Greek female name, particularly borne by a poetess from Lesbos who lived between 630 and 570 BC (exact dates unknown).
How do you pronounce "Sappho"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Sappho" is /ˈsæfoʊ/. 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 "Sappho"?
From Latin Sapphō, from Ancient Greek Σαπφώ (Sapphṓ). 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 "Sappho", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

saison#59,687slaver#59,708reeder#59,663subnet#59,735

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list