selah
se·lah/ˈsiːlə/interjection, noun
selah is spelled S-E-L-A-H: 5 letters and 2 syllables (se·lah). It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an interjection, selah means “A word occurring between verses or paragraphs in parts of the Hebrew Bible, namely in Habakkuk and the Psalms; perhaps indicating a pause, either for…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in selah?
| Letters | 5: S-E-L-A-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: se·lah |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 56,788th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| 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 selah?
Selah appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th 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 selah?
- /ˈsiːlə/
- /ˈseɪ̯lɑ/
Selah has 2 syllables, split se·lah in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-selah.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with selah?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as selah.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: shale, leash, halse.
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 selah
- selahs plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does selah mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
A word occurring between verses or paragraphs in parts of the Hebrew Bible, namely in Habakkuk and the Psalms; perhaps indicating a pause, either for contemplation or for clearing the throat in singing.
[…] Ps[alm] xlvi has three Selahs (vs. 3, 7, 11,) and likewise a repetition in vs. 7, 11, which, as we have already fully illustrated, Selah greatly intensifies. In Ps. xlix there are two Selahs (vs. 13, 15,) indicating the refrain, "Hear t
noun
- 1
A pause or rest of a contemplative nature.
interjection
- 1
Alternative letter-case form of selah.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does selah come from?
From Biblical Hebrew סֶלָה (sélā), of unknown origin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).