tempest
tem·pest/ˈtɛm.pəst/noun, verb
tempest is spelled T-E-M-P-E-S-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables (tem·pest). It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tempest means “A storm, especially one with severe winds” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tempest is tempests.
How many letters and syllables are in tempest?
| Letters | 7: T-E-M-P-E-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: tem·pest |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 19,825th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is tempest?
Tempest appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 19,825th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce tempest?
- /ˈtɛm.pəst/
Tempest has 2 syllables, split tem·pest in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-tempest_male.ogg, En-us-tempest.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of tempest
- tempests plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- tempesting participle, present
- tempested participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tempest mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A storm, especially one with severe winds.
- 2
Any violent tumult or commotion.
- 3
obsoleteA fashionable social gathering; a drum.
verb
- 1
rareTo storm.
- 2
To disturb, as by a tempest.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tempest in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | tempête |
| German | Sturm |
| Portuguese | tempestade |
| Spanish | tempestad, temporal , tempestear |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does tempest come from?
From Old French tempeste (French tempête), from Latin tempestas (“storm”), from tempus (“time, weather”). Displaced native Old English hrīþ.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).