stentorian

/stɛnˈtɔː.ɹi.ən/

//stɛnˈtɔː.ɹi.ən// adj

"stentorian" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stentorian” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Loud, powerful, booming, suitable for giving speeches to large crowds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stentorian · stentorian · English

stentorian · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for stentorian
PropertyValue
Headwordstentorian
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/stɛnˈtɔː.ɹi.ən/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stentorian” sits in English frequency

stentorian falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stentorian is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /stɛnˈtɔː.ɹi.ən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

stentorian has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Stentor + -ian, from Ancient Greek Στέντωρ (Sténtōr). Stentor was the herald of the Greek forces in the Iliad, noted for his loud voice. The correct English form is stentorian, spelled S-T-E-N-T-O-R-I-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Loud, powerful, booming, suitable for giving speeches to large crowds.
  2. 2
    Stern, authoritarian; demanding of respect.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how stentorian appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Shouts of laughter were elicited, smart biddings drawn out, from the whispers of a timid miss, to the stentorian voice of a fox-hunting squire, and not a few fracas from parties either contending for a supposed prize, or disclaiming their chance for it,...
  2. There seemed no one to dispute his claims when he said, or rather shouted, in stentorian tones: "I am Tsa. This is my she. Who wishes her more than Tsa?"

Etymology

From Stentor + -ian, from Ancient Greek Στέντωρ (Sténtōr). Stentor was the herald of the Greek forces in the Iliad, noted for his loud voice.

This word in other languages

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "stentorian"?
"stentorian" is spelled S-T-E-N-T-O-R-I-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /stɛnˈtɔː.ɹi.ən/.
What does "stentorian" mean?
As an adjective, "stentorian" means: Loud, powerful, booming, suitable for giving speeches to large crowds.
How do you pronounce "stentorian"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stentorian" is /stɛnˈtɔː.ɹi.ən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "stentorian"?
From Stentor + -ian, from Ancient Greek Στέντωρ (Sténtōr). Stentor was the herald of the Greek forces in the Iliad, noted for his loud voice. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list