transept

/ˈtɹænsɛpt/

//ˈtɹænsɛpt// noun

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

"transept" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“transept” is uncommon English (frequency #63,319 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,319
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The transversal part of a church, which crosses at right angles to the greatest length, and between the nave and choir. In the basilicas, this had often no projection at its two ends. In Gothic chu...

Corpus desk

Index EN-transept · transept · English

transept · rank #63,319 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,319
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH trenchant

Nearest frequency peer: trenchant (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “transept”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “transept” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for transept
PropertyValue
Headwordtransept
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹænsɛpt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#63,319
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “transept” in English

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).transeptfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “trenchant” (#63,320), “tress” (#63,321), “touchline” (#63,316). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “transept” is #63,319. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

transept is uncommon English at frequency #63,319 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtɹænsɛpt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The transversal part of a church, which crosses at right angles to the greatest length, and between the nave and choir. In the basilicas, this had often no projection at its two ends. In Gothic chu...".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for transept, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French transept, from New Latin transeptum, from Latin trans- (“across”) + saeptum (“fence, partition, enclosure”). The correct English form is transept, spelled T-R-A-N-S-E-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The transversal part of a church, which crosses at right angles to the greatest length, and between the nave and choir. In the basilicas, this had often no projection at its two ends. In Gothic churches these project greatly, and should be called the arms of the transept. It is common, however, to speak of the arms themselves as the transepts.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.

Etymology

From French transept, from New Latin transeptum, from Latin trans- (“across”) + saeptum (“fence, partition, enclosure”).

This word in other languages

transepto(Español)transept(Français)

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 "transept"?
"transept" is spelled T-R-A-N-S-E-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹænsɛpt/.
What does "transept" mean?
As a noun, "transept" means: The transversal part of a church, which crosses at right angles to the greatest length, and between the nave and choir. In the basilicas, this had often no projection at its two ends. In Gothic chu...
How do you pronounce "transept"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "transept" is /ˈtɹænsɛpt/. 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 "transept"?
From French transept, from New Latin transeptum, from Latin trans- (“across”) + saeptum (“fence, partition, enclosure”). 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 "transept", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Tunstall#63,325tiebreak#63,307Tatooine#63,300Taranaki#63,297

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list