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synod

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

5 characters

Language

English

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "synod", 5-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "synod" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "synod" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

synod is aEnglishnoun. It means: An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters. Pronounced /ˈsɪn.əd/. Often confused with synth and sod.

Key facts for synod
PropertyValue
Headwordsynod
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪn.əd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#19,225
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of synod in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for synod is 5 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪn.əd/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,225 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 8 documented wrong-spelling variants for synod, with forms such as "snyod", "ssynod", and "syndo". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "synth", "sod", "Syd", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek σύνοδος (súnodos, “assembly, meeting”) – from σύν (sún, “with”) (English syn-) + ὁδός (hodós, “way, path”). Compare also with the term סַנְהֶדְרִין (“sanhedrin”) common throughout Hebrew Talmudic literature. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is synod, spelled S-Y-N-O-D, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.
  2. 2
    An administrative division of churches, either the entire denomination, as in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, or a mid-level division (middle judicatory, district) as in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  3. 3
    An assembly or council having civil authority (formal); a legislative body.
  4. 4
    A conjunction of two or more of the heavenly bodies.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σύνοδος (súnodos, “assembly, meeting”) – from σύν (sún, “with”) (English syn-) + ὁδός (hodós, “way, path”). Compare also with the term סַנְהֶדְרִין (“sanhedrin”) common throughout Hebrew Talmudic literature.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: snyod,ssynod,syndo,synnod,synodd,syond,syynod,ysnod

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for synod

Misspelling Variants of "synod"

snyod5ssynod6syndo5synnod6synodd6syond5syynod6ysnod5
Misspelling Variants of "synod"

Frequency rank: #19,225 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "synod"?
"synod" is spelled S-Y-N-O-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪn.əd/.
What does "synod" mean?
As a noun, "synod" means: An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.
What words are commonly confused with "synod"?
"synod" is commonly confused with "synth", "sod", "Syd". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "synod"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "synod" is /ˈsɪn.əd/. 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 "synod"?
From Ancient Greek σύνοδος (súnodos, “assembly, meeting”) – from σύν (sún, “with”) (English syn-) + ὁδός (hodós, “way, path”). Compare also with the term סַנְהֶדְרִין (“sanhedrin”) common throughout Hebrew Talmudic literature. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter S in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.