vanity
van·i·ty/ˈvænəti/noun
vanity is spelled V-A-N-I-T-Y: 6 letters and 3 syllables (van·i·ty). It appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Vanity, the name). As a noun, vanity means “That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of vanity is vanities.
How many letters and syllables are in vanity?
| Letters | 6: V-A-N-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: van·i·ty |
| In writing | 5.5 times per million words; the 10,519th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is vanity?
Vanity appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Vanity, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce vanity?
- UK /ˈvænɪti/
- US /ˈvænəti/
- US [-ɾi]
Vanity has 3 syllables, split van·i·ty in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-vanity.ogg, En-us-vanity.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with vanity?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as vanity from its last stressed vowel (/ænəti/):
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 vanity
- vanities plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does vanity mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
- 2
Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own abilities, appearance, achievements, or possessions.
- 3
A dressing table used to apply makeup, preen, and coif hair, in which the table is normally quite low and similar to a desk.
- 4
A washbasin installed into a permanently fixed storage unit, used as an item of bathroom furniture.
- 5
obsoleteAny idea, theory or statement that is without foundation.
It is a vanity to say that if two stones are dropped from a tower, the heavier will experience the greater acceleration.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Vanity in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vanité |
| German | Vergänglichkeit , Eitelkeit , Leere |
| Portuguese | vaidade , vazio , lavatório |
| Spanish | vanidad , ínfulas , lavatorio, palanganero, zafero |
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 vanity come from?
From va(i)n + -ity, from Middle English vanite, from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitas, from vānus, whence English vain. Doublet of vanitas.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).