spartan
/ˈspɑː(ɹ)tən/adjective
spartan is spelled S-P-A-R-T-A-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.3 times per million words in written English, the 17,813th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, spartan means “Austere, frugal, characterized by self-denial” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in spartan?
| Letters | 7: S-P-A-R-T-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.3 times per million words; the 17,813th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is spartan?
Spartan appears 2.3 times per million words in written English, the 17,813th 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 spartan?
- /ˈspɑː(ɹ)tən/
Spartan has 2 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-spartan.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-Spartan.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with spartan?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as spartan from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹtən/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of spartan
- more spartan comparative
- most spartan superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spartan mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Austere, frugal, characterized by self-denial.
I went on the retreat to the monastery, thinking I would be sleeping in a spartan cell, only to discover a simple but comfortable bedroom.
- 2
Resolute in the face of danger or adversity.
The spartan legionaries vowed to fight to the death.
- 3
Lacking in decoration and luxury.
After ten years as a fashion designer in the rough-and-tumble Garment District, Eloise left New York for the spartan but serene life of a farmer's wife.
noun
- 1
A citizen of Sparta; a native or inhabitant of Sparta.
- 2
A red apple cultivar from British Columbia, Canada.
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to Sparta or its citizens.
- 2
Alternative letter-case form of spartan.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spartan in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | spartiate , Spartiate |
| German | spartanisch |
| Spanish | espartano, espartana |
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 spartan come from?
By analogy with the ancient Spartans, who famously possessed these qualities.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).