synod

/ˈsɪn.əd/

//ˈsɪn.əd// noun

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

"synod" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“synod” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,225. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,225
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An ecclesiastic council or meeting to consult on church matters.

Corpus desk

Index EN-synod · synod · English

synod · rank #19,225 · 8 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,225
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH syllable

Nearest frequency peer: syllable (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “synod”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “synod” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

synod vs synth
60% similar
synod vs sod
60% similar
synod vs Syd
40% similar

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

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 seat of misspelling magnet “synod”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).synodlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “syllable” (#19,224), “Taipei” (#19,226), “takeaway” (#19,227). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “synod” is #19,225. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around synod (IPA /ˈsɪn.əd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,225 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for synod, with forms such as "snyod", "ssynod", and "syndo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. 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. The correct English form is synod, spelled S-Y-N-O-D.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Addressing a number of previously taboo topics, this synod could result in several liberalizing reforms, though there is no guarantee that it will produce anything at all.
  2. It hath in solemn synods been decreed.

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

sínodo(Español)synode(Français)Synode(Deutsch)sínodo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • snyod
  • ssynod
  • syndo
  • synnod
  • synodd
  • syond
  • syynod
  • ysnod

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of synod - 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.

snyod2ssynod1syndo2synnod1synodd1syond2syynod1ysnod2
Edit distance from "synod"

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 "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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "synod", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Tatum#19,228Titus#19,233shred#19,203seams#19,199

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

teased8 variantsAubrey8 variantsCalais8 variantscrease8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list