semaphore

/ˈsɛm.əˌfɔː/

//ˈsɛm.əˌfɔː// noun

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

"semaphore" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“semaphore” is uncommon English (frequency #50,220 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,220
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.

Corpus desk

Index EN-semaphore · semaphore · English

semaphore · rank #50,220 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,220
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Selwyn

Nearest frequency peer: Selwyn (-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 “semaphore”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for semaphore
PropertyValue
Headwordsemaphore
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɛm.əˌfɔː/
Letters9
Frequency rank#50,220
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “semaphore” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).semaphorefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Selwyn” (#50,219), “Selig” (#50,218), “shaheed” (#50,222). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “semaphore” is #50,220. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

semaphore is uncommon English at frequency #50,220 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɛm.əˌfɔː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for semaphore in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is borrowed from French sémaphore, from Ancient Greek σῆμα (sêma, “mark, sign, token”) + French -phore (from Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros, suffix indicating a bearer or carrier)). By surface analysis, sema- + -phore. The verb is derived from the n… The correct English form is semaphore, spelled S-E-M-A-P-H-O-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.
  2. 2
    A visual system for transmitting information using the above equipment; especially, by means of two flags held one in each hand, using an alphabetic and numeric code based on the position of the signaller's arms; flag semaphore.
  3. 3
    A bit, token, fragment of code, or some other mechanism which is used to restrict access to a shared function or device to a single process at a time, or to synchronize and coordinate events in different processes.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We must here take the liberty of expostulating with Sir Home [Riggs] Popham and the first Lord of the Admiralty, for having given to the telegraphic machine, invented by that gallant officer, the barbarous name of Semaphore, instead of Sematophore or Semophore—either of them ugly enough.
  2. The large Silver Medal of the Society was this Session voted to Nic[h]olas Harris Nicolas, Esq. of the Inner Temple, for an Improvement on the Vertical Semaphore, and for his method of adapting a shifting Key to Telegraphic Communications, for the purpose of insuring their Secrecy. A Model of Mr. N's Semaphore has been placed in the Repository of the Soci…

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from French sémaphore, from Ancient Greek σῆμα (sêma, “mark, sign, token”) + French -phore (from Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros, suffix indicating a bearer or carrier)). By surface analysis, sema- + -phore. The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

semáforo(Español)sémaphore(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 "semaphore"?
"semaphore" is spelled S-E-M-A-P-H-O-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛm.əˌfɔː/.
What does "semaphore" mean?
As a noun, "semaphore" means: Any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.
How do you pronounce "semaphore"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "semaphore" is /ˈsɛm.əˌfɔː/. 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 "semaphore"?
The noun is borrowed from French sémaphore, from Ancient Greek σῆμα (sêma, “mark, sign, token”) + French -phore (from Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros, suffix indicating a bearer or carrier)). By surface analysis, sema- + -phore. The verb is derived ... 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 "semaphore", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

romancing#50,204regrouped#50,188regretful#50,187supercell#50,257

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list