tenement
/ˈtɛnɪmənt/noun
tenement is spelled T-E-N-E-M-E-N-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tenement means “A building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tenement is tenements.
How many letters and syllables are in tenement?
| Letters | 8: T-E-N-E-M-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,504th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is tenement?
Tenement appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th 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 tenement?
- /ˈtɛnɪmənt/
Tenement has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-tenement.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of tenement
- tenements plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tenement mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one.
- 2
Any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned.
The island of Brecqhou is a tenement of Sark.
- 3
A dwelling; abode; habitation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tenement in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | appartement, logement |
| German | Mietskaserne, Wohnungsblock, Wohnblock , Mietshaus |
| Portuguese | cortiço |
| Spanish | casa de vecindad, vecindad, bloque de viviendas, inquilinato, solar, conventillo |
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 tenement come from?
From Middle English tenement, from Anglo-Norman tenement (“holding”), from Old French tenement, from Medieval Latin tenimentum, from Latin teneō (“hold”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).