Sylvester

/sɪlˈvɛstɚ/

//sɪlˈvɛstɚ// name

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"sylvester" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Sylvester” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,089. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,089
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male given name from Latin used in English since the sixteenth century.

Key facts for Sylvester
PropertyValue
HeadwordSylvester
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/sɪlˈvɛstɚ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,089
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Sylvester” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Sylvester lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around Sylvester (IPA /sɪlˈvɛstɚ/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #21,089 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for Sylvester, with forms such as "slyvester", "ssylvester", and "sylevster". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin sylvester (“woody, rural”) from silva (“wood”); name of a saint whose feast day falls on December 31. The correct English form is Sylvester, spelled S-Y-L-V-E-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from Latin used in English since the sixteenth century.
  2. 2
    A surname.
  3. 3
    A community in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  4. 4
    A city, the county seat of Worth County, Georgia, United States.
  5. 5
    An unincorporated community in Fisher County, Texas, United States.
  6. 6
    A small town in Boone County, West Virginia, United States.
  7. 7
    A town in Green County, Wisconsin, United States.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sylvester (“woody, rural”) from silva (“wood”); name of a saint whose feast day falls on December 31.

This word in other languages

Silvestre(Español)Sylvestre(Français)Silvester(Deutsch)Silvestre(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • slyvester
  • ssylvester
  • sylevster
  • syllvester
  • sylvesetr
  • sylvesster
  • sylvesterr
  • sylvestre
  • sylvestter
  • sylvetser
  • sylvseter
  • sylvvester
  • syvlester
  • syylvester
  • yslvester

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Sylvester - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

slyvester2ssylvester1sylevster2syllvester1sylvesetr2sylvesster1sylvesterr1sylvestre2
Edit distance from "Sylvester"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Sylvester"?
"Sylvester" is spelled S-Y-L-V-E-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪlˈvɛstɚ/.
What does "Sylvester" mean?
As a proper noun, "Sylvester" means: A male given name from Latin used in English since the sixteenth century.
What are common misspellings of "Sylvester"?
Common misspellings include "slyvester", "ssylvester", "sylevster", "syllvester", "sylvesetr". The correct spelling is "Sylvester".
How do you pronounce "Sylvester"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Sylvester" is /sɪlˈvɛstɚ/. 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 "Sylvester"?
Borrowed from Latin sylvester (“woody, rural”) from silva (“wood”); name of a saint whose feast day falls on December 31. 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.

Using “Sylvester”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-Y-L-V-E-S-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sɪlˈvɛstɚ/ (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

Same frequency band

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