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valedictorian

/ˌvæl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ən/noun

valedictorian is spelled V-A-L-E-D-I-C-T-O-R-I-A-N: 13 letters and 6 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, valedictorian means “The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of valedictorian is valedictorians.

How many letters and syllables are in valedictorian?

Letters13: V-A-L-E-D-I-C-T-O-R-I-A-N
Syllables6 (from its American pronunciation)
In writingabout once in every 2 million words; the 40,703rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is valedictorian?

Valedictorian appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd 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 valedictorian?

  • UK /ˌvæl.əd.ɪkˈtɔɹ.ɪən/
  • US /ˌvæl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ən/
  • US /ˌvæl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ɪn/

Valedictorian has 6 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-valedictorian.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with valedictorian?

One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as valedictorian from its last stressed vowel (/oɹiən/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of valedictorian

  • valedictorians plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does valedictorian mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    CanadaUSThe individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades.

  2. 2

    CanadaUScolloquialThe individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Valedictorian in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
GermanAbschiedsredner (farewell speech giver), Jahrgangsbester, Jahrgangsprimus (no 1 student)
Portugueseorador (farewell speech giver)
Frenchmajor, major de promotion (no 1 student)

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 valedictorian come from?

Formed 1759, from valedictory (“of a speech made when leaving”) + -an.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after valedictorian