steeple
/ˈsti(ː)pəl/noun, verb
steeple is spelled S-T-E-E-P-L-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, steeple means “A tall tower, often on a church, normally topped with a spire” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of steeple is steeples.
How many letters and syllables are in steeple?
| Letters | 7: S-T-E-E-P-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd 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 steeple?
Steeple appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd 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 steeple?
- US /ˈsti(ː)pəl/
- US [ˈsti(ː)pɫ̩]
Steeple 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-steeple.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with steeple?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as steeple from its last stressed vowel (/ipəl/):
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 steeple
- steeples plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- steepling participle, present
- steepled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does steeple mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A tall tower, often on a church, normally topped with a spire.
- 2
A spire.
- 3
A high headdress of the 14th century.
verb
- 1
To form something into the shape of a steeple.
He steepled his fingers as he considered the question.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Steeple in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a tall tower, often on a church:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | clocher |
| German | Kirchturm |
| Portuguese | campanário, torre sineira |
| Spanish | campanario, campanil, espadaña |
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 steeple come from?
From Middle English stepel, from Old English stīpel, stȳpel, stīepel (“tower, steeple”), from Proto-West Germanic *staupil, from Proto-Germanic *staupilaz (“that which is steep, tower, steeple”), equivalent to steep + -le. Cognate with Old Norse stǫpull (“tower, steeple”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).