spectacle
spec·ta·cle/ˈspɛktəkl̩/noun
spectacle is spelled S-P-E-C-T-A-C-L-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (spec·ta·cle). It appears 4.1 times per million words in written English, the 12,764th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, spectacle means “An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of spectacle is spectacles.
How many letters and syllables are in spectacle?
| Letters | 9: S-P-E-C-T-A-C-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: spec·ta·cle |
| In writing | 4.1 times per million words; the 12,764th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is spectacle?
Spectacle appears 4.1 times per million words in written English, the 12,764th 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 spectacle?
- /ˈspɛktəkl̩/
Spectacle has 3 syllables, split spec·ta·cle in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Mélange_a_trois-spectacle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of spectacle
- spectacles plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spectacle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc.
The horse race was a thrilling spectacle.
- 2
Drama and excitement in a display, product, performance, exhibition, etc.
I enjoyed her presentation, but it needs more spectacle.
- 3
An embarrassing or unedifying scene or situation.
He made a spectacle out of himself.
- 4
Attributive form of spectacles.
- 5
The brille of a snake.
- 6
A frame with different coloured lenses on a semaphore signal through which light from a lamp shines at night, often a part of the signal arm.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spectacle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | spectacle |
| German | Spektakel, Schauspiel |
| Portuguese | espetáculo, show, mostra , espectáculo |
| Spanish | espectáculo , papelón |
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 spectacle come from?
From Middle English spectacle, from Middle French spectacle, from Latin spectāculum (“a show, spectacle”), from spectō (“to see, behold”), frequentative of speciō (“to see”). See species. Doublet of spectaculum.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).