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 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,810
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality of being deeply serious and sober or solemn.

Corpus desk

Index EN-solemnity · solemnity · English

solemnity · rank #50,810 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,810
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Sondheim

Nearest frequency peer: Sondheim (+1 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 “solemnity”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for solemnity
PropertyValue
Headwordsolemnity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/səˈlɛmnɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#50,810
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “solemnity” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).solemnityfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Sondheim” (#50,811), “snugly” (#50,808), “sourcebook” (#50,812). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “solemnity” is #50,810. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

solemnity is uncommon English at frequency #50,810 among 6,566 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the solemnity of a funeral
  2. The stateliness and gravity of the Spaniards shows itself in the solemnity of their language.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "solemnity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Southwell#50,813simulcast#50,802sequester#50,797thereupon#50,839

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list