simile

/ˈsɪməli/

//ˈsɪməli// noun

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

"simile" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“simile” is uncommon English (frequency #59,018 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,018
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A figure of speech in which one thing is explicitly compared to another, using e.g. like or as.

Corpus desk

Index EN-simile · simile · English

simile · rank #59,018 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,018
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shruti

Nearest frequency peer: shruti (-2 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 “simile”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for simile
PropertyValue
Headwordsimile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪməli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#59,018
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “simile” 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).similefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “shruti” (#59,016), “Showalter” (#59,015), “sitar” (#59,021). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “simile” is #59,018. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

simile is uncommon English at frequency #59,018 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsɪməli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for simile, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin simile (“comparison, likeness, parallel”) (first attested 1393), originally from simile, neuter form of similis (“like, similar, resembling”). Compare English similar. The correct English form is simile, spelled S-I-M-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A figure of speech in which one thing is explicitly compared to another, using e.g. like or as.
  2. 2
    Similarity or resemblance to something else; likeness, similitude.
  3. 3
    Something similar that's not a clone.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He made a simile of George the third to Nebuchadnezzar, and of the prince regent to Belshazzar, and insisted that the prince represented the latter in not paying much attention to what had happened to kings […]
  2. The second was a fancy, which amounts to a mania, for similes, strung together in endless lists, and derived as a rule from animals, vegetables, or minerals, especially from the Fauna and Flora of fancy.

Etymology

From Latin simile (“comparison, likeness, parallel”) (first attested 1393), originally from simile, neuter form of similis (“like, similar, resembling”). Compare English similar.

This word in other languages

símil(Español)comparaison(Français)Vergleich(Deutsch)

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 "simile"?
"simile" is spelled S-I-M-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪməli/.
What does "simile" mean?
As a noun, "simile" means: A figure of speech in which one thing is explicitly compared to another, using e.g. like or as.
How do you pronounce "simile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "simile" is /ˈsɪməli/. 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 "simile"?
From Latin simile (“comparison, likeness, parallel”) (first attested 1393), originally from simile, neuter form of similis (“like, similar, resembling”). Compare English similar. 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 "simile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

shruti#59,016shisha#59,012slushy#59,025seraph#59,007

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list