transom

/ˈtɹæn.səm/

//ˈtɹæn.səm// noun

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

"transom" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“transom” is uncommon English (frequency #57,135 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,135
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - A crosspiece over a door; a lintel.

Corpus desk

Index EN-transom · transom · English

transom · rank #57,135 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,135
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH trigonometric

Nearest frequency peer: trigonometric (+2 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “transom”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “transom” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026
Key facts for transom
PropertyValue
Headwordtransom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹæn.səm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#57,135
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “transom” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). transom lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

transom is uncommon English at frequency #57,135 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtɹæn.səm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for transom, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English traunsom; probably an alteration of Latin trānstrum (“crossbeam”). The correct English form is transom, spelled T-R-A-N-S-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A crosspiece over a door; a lintel.
  2. 2
    A horizontal glazing bar in a window.
  3. 3
    A transom window.
  4. 4
    Any of several transverse structural members in a ship, especially at the stern; a thwart.
  5. 5
    The flat or nearly flat stern of a boat or ship.
  6. 6
    The horizontal beam on a cross or gallows.
  7. 7
    Items that have arrived over the transom.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We are overwhelmed with transom resumes.
  2. They only met the deadline by working most of the night and making a transom filing.

Etymology

From Middle English traunsom; probably an alteration of Latin trānstrum (“crossbeam”).

This word in other languages

travesaño(Español)traverse(Français)Sturz(Deutsch)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "transom"?
"transom" is spelled T-R-A-N-S-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹæn.səm/.
What does "transom" mean?
As a noun, "transom" means: A crosspiece over a door; a lintel.
How do you pronounce "transom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "transom" is /ˈtɹæn.səm/. 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 "transom"?
From Middle English traunsom; probably an alteration of Latin trānstrum (“crossbeam”). 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 "transom", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unpaved#57,150tabular#57,118verbose#57,158vespers#57,160
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list