siesta
/siˈɛstə/noun, verb
siesta is spelled S-I-E-S-T-A: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,073rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, siesta means “A nap, especially an afternoon one taken during the hottest part of the day in some cultures” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of siesta is siestas.
How many letters and syllables are in siesta?
| Letters | 6: S-I-E-S-T-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 47,073rd 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 siesta?
Siesta appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,073rd 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 siesta?
- US /siˈɛstə/
Siesta has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-siesta.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with siesta?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as siesta from its last stressed vowel (/ɛstə/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: tassie.
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 siesta
- siestas plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- siestaing participle, present
- siestaed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does siesta mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A nap, especially an afternoon one taken during the hottest part of the day in some cultures.
- 2
offensiveLaid-back attitudes to work or laziness, especially by a Hispanic person.
verb
- 1
to take a siesta; to nap.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Siesta in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense an afternoon nap:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | sieste |
| German | Mittagsruhe, Siesta, Mittagsschlaf |
| Portuguese | sesta, siesta |
| Spanish | siesta |
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 siesta come from?
Borrowed from Spanish siesta, from Latin sexta (“the sixth hour from dawn, noon, midday”). Doublet of sext.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).