transom
/ˈtɹæn.səm/noun
transom is spelled T-R-A-N-S-O-M: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, transom means “A crosspiece over a door; a lintel” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of transom is transoms.
How many letters and syllables are in transom?
| Letters | 7: T-R-A-N-S-O-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 56,788th 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 transom?
Transom appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th 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 transom?
- /ˈtɹæn.səm/
Transom 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-transom.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of transom
- transoms plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does transom mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A crosspiece over a door; a lintel.
- 2
A horizontal glazing bar in a window.
- 3
A transom window.
- 4
Any of several transverse structural members in a ship, especially at the stern; a thwart.
- 5
The flat or nearly flat stern of a boat or ship.
- 6
The horizontal beam on a cross or gallows.
- 7
Items that have arrived over the transom.
We are overwhelmed with transom resumes.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Transom in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | traverse |
| German | Sturz, Holm , Kämpfer, waagerechte Leiste , Heckbalken , Spiegel |
| Spanish | travesaño |
| Portuguese | gio |
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 transom come from?
From Middle English traunsom; probably an alteration of Latin trānstrum (“crossbeam”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).