simian
/ˈsɪm.i.ən/adjective, noun
simian is spelled S-I-M-I-A-N: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,129th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, simian means “Of or pertaining to apes and monkeys” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in simian?
| Letters | 6: S-I-M-I-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 51,129th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is simian?
Simian appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,129th 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 simian?
- US /ˈsɪm.i.ən/
Simian 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-us-simian.ogg, En-au-simian.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of simian
- more simian comparative
- most simian superlative
- simians plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does simian mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or pertaining to apes and monkeys.
- 2
Bearing resemblance to an ape or monkey; apelike or monkeylike.
noun
- 1
An ape or monkey, especially an anthropoid (infraorder Simiiformes).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Simian in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | simien |
| German | Affen- , äffisch, affig |
| Portuguese | símio , simiesco |
| Spanish | símico , simiesco , simio |
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 simian come from?
From Latin sīmia (“ape, monkey”), from Ancient Greek σιμός (simós, “snub-nosed”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).