symbolism

/ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/

//ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“symbolism” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,929 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#15,929
frequency rank, English
9
letters
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

symbolism vs symbols
78% similar
symbolism vs symbolize
78% similar
symbolism vs symbolic
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for symbolism
PropertyValue
Headwordsymbolism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,929
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “symbolism” 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). symbolism lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for symbolism is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,929 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for symbolism, with forms such as "smybolism", "ssymbolism", and "sybmolism". 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. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "symbols", "symbolize", "symbolic", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From symbol + -ism, sense 2 being a semantic loan from French symbolisme. The correct English form is symbolism, spelled S-Y-M-B-O-L-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities.
  2. 2
    An art movement originating in late 19th-century France and Belgium, seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realism.
  3. 3
    A combining together of parts or ingredients.

Etymology

From symbol + -ism, sense 2 being a semantic loan from French symbolisme.

This word in other languages

symbolisme(Français)Symbolik(Deutsch)simbolismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: smybolism,ssymbolism,sybmolism,symbbolism,symbloism,symboilsm,symbolims,symbolismm,symbolissm,symbollism,symbolsim,symmbolism,symoblism,syymbolism,ysmbolism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of symbolism - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

smybolism2ssymbolism1sybmolism2symbbolism1symbloism2symboilsm2symbolims2symbolismm1
Edit distance from "symbolism"

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 "symbolism"?
"symbolism" is spelled S-Y-M-B-O-L-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/.
What does "symbolism" mean?
As a noun, "symbolism" means: Representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities.
What words are commonly confused with "symbolism"?
"symbolism" is commonly confused with "symbols", "symbolize", "symbolic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "symbolism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "symbolism" is /ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/. 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 "symbolism"?
From symbol + -ism, sense 2 being a semantic loan from French symbolisme. 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 “symbolism”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-Y-M-B-O-L-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “symbols” - see the side-by-side comparison. symbolism vs symbols
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list