Scylla

/ˈsɪlə/

//ˈsɪlə// name

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

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

The verdict

“Scylla” is uncommon English (frequency #56,422 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,422
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dangerous rock on the Italian coast opposite the whirlpool Charybdis on the coast of Sicily. The passage between Scylla and Charybdis was formerly considered perilous; hence, the saying between S...

Corpus desk

Index EN-scylla · Scylla · English

Scylla · rank #56,422 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,422
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH scuff

Nearest frequency peer: scuff (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “Scylla”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Scylla
PropertyValue
HeadwordScylla
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈsɪlə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#56,422
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Scylla” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).Scyllafalls 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: “scuff” (#56,421), “servile” (#56,425), “sesh” (#56,426). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “Scylla” is #56,422. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Scylla is uncommon English at frequency #56,422 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈsɪlə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for Scylla in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. 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 Scylla, from Ancient Greek Σκύλλα (Skúlla). The correct English form is Scylla, spelled S-C-Y-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dangerous rock on the Italian coast opposite the whirlpool Charybdis on the coast of Sicily. The passage between Scylla and Charybdis was formerly considered perilous; hence, the saying between Scylla and Charybdis signifies a great peril on either hand.
  2. 2
    A personification of said rock as a ravenous monster.
  3. 3
    A princess, daughter of King Nisos of Megara, who fell in love with King Minos and betrayed her city to him.
  4. 4
    The main belt asteroid 155 Scylla.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I have never yet been able to steer my lovers through the Scylla of presence, or the Charybdis of absence.
  2. Ah cease rash Youth! desist e'er 'tis too late, / Fear the just Gods, and think of Scylla′s Fate!

Etymology

From Latin Scylla, from Ancient Greek Σκύλλα (Skúlla).

This word in other languages

Scylla(Français)

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 "Scylla"?
"Scylla" is spelled S-C-Y-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪlə/.
What does "Scylla" mean?
As a proper noun, "Scylla" means: A dangerous rock on the Italian coast opposite the whirlpool Charybdis on the coast of Sicily. The passage between Scylla and Charybdis was formerly considered perilous; hence, the saying between S...
How do you pronounce "Scylla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Scylla" is /ˈsɪlə/. 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 "Scylla"?
From Latin Scylla, from Ancient Greek Σκύλλα (Skúlla). 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 "Scylla", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

russet#56,415Shlomo#56,433rewire#56,408Skokie#56,443

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list