satyr

/ˈsætə/

//ˈsætə// noun

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

The verdict

“satyr” is uncommon English (frequency #55,082 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,082
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A sylvan deity or demigod, male companion of Pan or Dionysus, represented as part man and part goat, and characterized by riotous merriment and lasciviousness, sometimes pictured with a perpetual e...

Key facts for satyr
PropertyValue
Headwordsatyr
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsætə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#55,082
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “satyr” 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). satyr lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

satyr is uncommon English at frequency #55,082 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsætə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for satyr, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French satyre, from Latin satyrus, from Ancient Greek σάτυρος (sáturos). The correct English form is satyr, spelled S-A-T-Y-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sylvan deity or demigod, male companion of Pan or Dionysus, represented as part man and part goat, and characterized by riotous merriment and lasciviousness, sometimes pictured with a perpetual erection.
  2. 2
    Synonym of faun.
  3. 3
    A lecherous man.
  4. 4
    Any of various butterflies of the nymphalid subfamily Satyrinae, having brown wings marked with eyelike spots; a meadow brown.
  5. 5
    The orangutan.

Etymology

From French satyre, from Latin satyrus, from Ancient Greek σάτυρος (sáturos).

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); 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 "satyr"?
"satyr" is spelled S-A-T-Y-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsætə/.
What does "satyr" mean?
As a noun, "satyr" means: A sylvan deity or demigod, male companion of Pan or Dionysus, represented as part man and part goat, and characterized by riotous merriment and lasciviousness, sometimes pictured with a perpetual e...
How do you pronounce "satyr"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "satyr" is /ˈsætə/. 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 "satyr"?
From French satyre, from Latin satyrus, from Ancient Greek σάτυρος (sáturos). 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 “satyr”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-A-T-Y-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsætə/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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