transcend
/tɹæn(t)ˈsɛnd/verb
transcend is spelled T-R-A-N-S-C-E-N-D: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, transcend means “To pass beyond the limits of something” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in transcend?
| Letters | 9: T-R-A-N-S-C-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 25,367th 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 transcend?
Transcend appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th 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 transcend?
- /tɹæn(t)ˈsɛnd/
Transcend has 2 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: En-us-transcend.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of transcend
- transcends present, singular, he/she/it
- transcending participle, present
- transcended participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does transcend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To pass beyond the limits of something.
We cannot transcend what we refuse to face.
- 2
To surpass, as in intensity or power; to excel.
- 3
obsoleteTo climb; to mount.
lights in the heavens transcending the region of the clouds
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Transcend in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | transcender |
| German | übersteigen, überschreiten |
| Portuguese | transcender |
| Spanish | trascender, transcender , sobrepasar, superar |
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 transcend come from?
From Middle English transcenden, from Old French transcender, from Latin transcendō (“to climb over, step over, surpass, transcend”), from trans (“over”) + scandō (“to climb”); see scan; compare ascend, descend.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).