solemnity

/səˈlɛmnɪti/

//səˈlɛmnɪti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“solemnity” is uncommon English (frequency #50,810 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,810
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality of being deeply serious and sober or solemn.

Key facts for solemnity
PropertyValue
Headwordsolemnity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/səˈlɛmnɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#50,810
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “solemnity” 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). solemnity lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

solemnity is uncommon English at frequency #50,810 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /səˈlɛmnɪti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

solemnity doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From solemn + -ity, from Middle English solemnity (“observance of formality and ceremony”), frequently in the phrases in solemnity, with solemnity, which from Old French solemnite, from Latin sollemnitās, from sollemnis. (Compare solemn.) The correct English form is solemnity, spelled S-O-L-E-M-N-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being deeply serious and sober or solemn.
  2. 2
    An instance or example of solemn behavior; a rite or ceremony performed with reverence.
  3. 3
    A feast day of the highest rank celebrating a mystery of faith such as the Trinity, an event in the life of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, or another important saint.
  4. 4
    A solemn or formal observance; proceeding according to due form; the formality which is necessary to render a thing done valid.
  5. 5
    A celebration or festivity.

Etymology

From solemn + -ity, from Middle English solemnity (“observance of formality and ceremony”), frequently in the phrases in solemnity, with solemnity, which from Old French solemnite, from Latin sollemnitās, from sollemnis. (Compare solemn.)

This word in other languages

solemnidad(Español)solennité(Français)Hochfest(Deutsch)solenidade(Português)

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 "solemnity"?
"solemnity" is spelled S-O-L-E-M-N-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈlɛmnɪti/.
What does "solemnity" mean?
As a noun, "solemnity" means: The quality of being deeply serious and sober or solemn.
How do you pronounce "solemnity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "solemnity" is /səˈlɛmnɪti/. 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 "solemnity"?
From solemn + -ity, from Middle English solemnity (“observance of formality and ceremony”), frequently in the phrases in solemnity, with solemnity, which from Old French solemnite, from Latin sollemnitās, from sollemnis. (Compare solemn.) 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.

Using “solemnity”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-O-L-E-M-N-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /səˈlɛmnɪti/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list