spirit
spir·it/ˈspɪɹɪt/noun, verb
spirit is spelled S-P-I-R-I-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables (spir·it). It appears 62 times per million words in written English, the 1,696th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, spirit means “The soul of a person or other creature” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of spirit is spirits.
How many letters and syllables are in spirit?
| Letters | 6: S-P-I-R-I-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: spir·it |
| In writing | 62 times per million words; the 1,696th 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 spirit?
Spirit appears 62 times per million words in written English, the 1,696th 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 spirit?
- UK /ˈspɪɹɪt/
- US /ˈspɪɹɪt/
- US /ˈspiɹɪt/
Spirit has 2 syllables, split spir·it in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-spirit.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of spirit
- spirits plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- spir't
- spiriting participle, present
- spirited participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spirit mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The soul of a person or other creature.
- 2
A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
A wandering spirit haunts the island.
- 3
Enthusiasm.
School spirit is at an all-time high.
- 4
Energy; ardour.
- 5
The manner or style of something.
In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.
- 6
Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
- 7
A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
- 8
One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit
verb
- 1
To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
- 2
Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.
Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spirit in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | esprit , moral , élan |
| German | Geist , Stimmung , Schnaps, Sprit, Alkohol |
| Portuguese | espírito , ânimo , jeito , álcool |
| Spanish | espíritu, alma, pneuma , luá |
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 spirit come from?
From Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spīrō (“to breathe, blow, respire”). In this sense, displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gāst), whence modern English ghost.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).