tyranny
tyr·an·ny/ˈtərəni/noun
tyranny is spelled T-Y-R-A-N-N-Y: 7 letters and 3 syllables (tyr·an·ny). It appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tyranny means “A government in which a single ruler (a tyrant) has absolute power, or this system of government; especially, one that acts cruelly and unjustly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tyranny is tyrannies.
How many letters and syllables are in tyranny?
| Letters | 7: T-Y-R-A-N-N-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: tyr·an·ny |
| In writing | 3.3 times per million words; the 14,509th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is tyranny?
Tyranny appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th 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 tyranny?
- /ˈtərəni/
- /ˈtirəni/
- /ˈtɪɹəni/
Tyranny has 3 syllables, split tyr·an·ny in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-tyrrany.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Qwertygiy-tyranny.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of tyranny
- tyrannies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tyranny mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A government in which a single ruler (a tyrant) has absolute power, or this system of government; especially, one that acts cruelly and unjustly.
- 2
The office or jurisdiction of an absolute ruler.
- 3
Absolute power, or its use.
- 4
A system of government in which power is exercised on behalf of the ruler or ruling class, without regard to the wishes of the governed.
- 5
Extreme severity or rigour.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tyranny in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense government in which a single ruler has absolute power:
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 tyranny come from?
Inherited from Middle English tirannye, from Old French tyrannie, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, tyrania, from Ancient Greek τυραννία (turannía, “tyranny”), from τύραννος (túrannos, “lord, master, sovereign, tyrant”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).