spandrel
"spandrel" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“spandrel” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The space (often more or less triangular) between the outer curve of an arch (the extrados) and a straight-sided figure that bounds it; the space between two contiguous arches and a straight featur...
Corpus desk
Index EN-spandrel · spandrel · English
spandrel · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "S" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | spandrel |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “spandrel” in English
Rare enough to double-check
spandrel is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.
spandrel has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: From a diminutive in -el of Anglo-Norman spaundre, of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old French espandre (“to expand, extend, spread”). More at spawn, expand. In the field of biology first used by Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin. The correct English form is spandrel, spelled S-P-A-N-D-R-E-L.
Definition
- 1The space (often more or less triangular) between the outer curve of an arch (the extrados) and a straight-sided figure that bounds it; the space between two contiguous arches and a straight feature above them.
- 2Horizontal member between the windows of successive storeys of a tall building.
- 3The triangular space under a stair; the material that fills the space.
- 4An oriental rug having a pattern of arches; the design in the corners of such a rug, especially in a prayer rug.
- 5A phenotypic characteristic that evolved as a side effect of an adaptation in response to evolutionary pressure.
- 6soffit (usually used to describe metal or corrugated plastic types of roof soffit)
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how spandrel appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Usual practice then builds a wall above each curved end of the arch, known as a spandrel, which directly joins the bridge's sidewalls. […] With sidewalls and spandrels in place, you can fill the space between them with material up to the height of the bridge deck, and then place the road or railway on top.
2002, Kerstin Lang, Seismic Vulnerability of Existing Buildings, vdf Hochschulverlag AG, page 25, Due to the fact that the walls are joined by floors and spandrels, a coupling effect is produced. Depending on the extent of the spandrels, this coupling effect will be bigger or smaller.
Etymology
From a diminutive in -el of Anglo-Norman spaundre, of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old French espandre (“to expand, extend, spread”). More at spawn, expand. In the field of biology first used by Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.