silhouette

Name: silhouette, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˌsɪ.lʊˈwɛt/

//ˌsɪ.lʊˈwɛt// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“silhouette” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,464 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,464
frequency rank, English: 10
letters: 12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An illustrated outline filled in with a solid color(s), usually only black, and intended to represent the shape of an object without revealing any other visual details; a similar appearance produce...

Key facts for silhouette
Property	Value
Headword	silhouette
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˌsɪ.lʊˈwɛt/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#19,464
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “silhouette” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). silhouette lands here:

#19,464

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for silhouette is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌsɪ.lʊˈwɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,464 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for silhouette, with forms such as "islhouette", "sihlouette", and "silhhouette". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French silhouette, after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–1767), French Controller of Finances. De Silhouette's penny-pinching led to the French term à la Silhouette, applied to things perceived as cheap or austere, such as an outline filled only w… The correct English form is silhouette, spelled S-I-L-H-O-U-E-T-T-E.

Definition

1
An illustrated outline filled in with a solid color(s), usually only black, and intended to represent the shape of an object without revealing any other visual details; a similar appearance produced when the object being viewed is situated in relative darkness with brighter lighting behind it; a profile portrait in black, such as a shadow appears to be.
2
The outline of a garment as it appears on the wearer.

Etymology

Borrowed from French silhouette, after Étienne de Silhouette (1709–1767), French Controller of Finances. De Silhouette's penny-pinching led to the French term à la Silhouette, applied to things perceived as cheap or austere, such as an outline filled only with black. Étienne de Silhouette's surname is, in turn, gallicized Basque. It derives from Ziloeta or Zilhoeta, modern Basque Zulueta, from the local plural (see -ak) stem of zulo (“hole, cave”).

This word in other languages

silueta(Español)silhouette(Français)Silhouette(Deutsch)contorno(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: islhouette,sihlouette,silhhouette,silhoeutte,silhouete,silhouetet,silhoutete,silhuoette,sillhouette,silohuette,slihouette,ssilhouette

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of silhouette - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "silhouette"

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 "silhouette"?

"silhouette" is spelled S-I-L-H-O-U-E-T-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɪ.lʊˈwɛt/.

What does "silhouette" mean?

As a noun, "silhouette" means: An illustrated outline filled in with a solid color(s), usually only black, and intended to represent the shape of an object without revealing any other visual details; a similar appearance produce...

What are common misspellings of "silhouette"?

Common misspellings include "islhouette", "sihlouette", "silhhouette", "silhoeutte", "silhouete". The correct spelling is "silhouette".

How do you pronounce "silhouette"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "silhouette" is /ˌsɪ.lʊˈwɛt/. 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 "silhouette"?

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.

Using “silhouette”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is S-I-L-H-O-U-E-T-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˌsɪ.lʊˈwɛt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.