spathe
/speɪð/
"spathe" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“spathe” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large bract that envelops or subtends a whole inflorescence, typically a spadix.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | spathe |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /speɪð/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “spathe” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
spathe is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /speɪð/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A large bract that envelops or subtends a whole inflorescence, typically a spadix.".
Zero misspellings are on record for spathe in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “blade”). Doublet of epee, spatha, and spade. The correct English form is spathe, spelled S-P-A-T-H-E.
Definition
- 1A large bract that envelops or subtends a whole inflorescence, typically a spadix.
Etymology
From Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “blade”). Doublet of epee, spatha, and spade.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “spathe”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-P-A-T-H-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /speɪð/ (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
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.