sceptre
scep·tre/ˈsɛptɚ/noun, verb
sceptre is spelled S-C-E-P-T-R-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (scep·tre). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, sceptre means “An ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch as a symbol of power” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of sceptre is sceptres.
How many letters and syllables are in sceptre?
| Letters | 7: S-C-E-P-T-R-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: scep·tre |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 46,473rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is sceptre?
Sceptre appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd 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 sceptre?
- UK /ˈsɛptə/
- US /ˈsɛptɚ/
Sceptre has 2 syllables, split scep·tre in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-sceptre.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with sceptre?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as sceptre from its last stressed vowel (/ɛptəɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: respect, specter.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of sceptre
- sceptres plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- scepter US
- sceptring participle, present
- sceptred participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sceptre mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch as a symbol of power.
verb
- 1
To give a sceptre to.
- 2
To invest with royal power.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sceptre in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense ornamental staff:
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 sceptre come from?
From Middle English septre, sceptre, from Old French sceptre, from Latin scēptrum, from Ancient Greek σκῆπτρον (skêptron, “staff, stick, baton”), from σκήπτω (skḗptō, “to prop, to support, to lean upon a staff”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).