vignette
/vɪnˈjɛt/noun, verb
vignette is spelled V-I-G-N-E-T-T-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, vignette means “A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of vignette is vignettes.
How many letters and syllables are in vignette?
| Letters | 8: V-I-G-N-E-T-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th 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 vignette?
Vignette appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th 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 vignette?
- /vɪnˈjɛt/
Vignette 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: En-us-vignette.ogg, En-au-vignette.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of vignette
- vignettes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- vignetting participle, present
- vignetted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does vignette mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A running ornament consisting of leaves and tendrils, used in Gothic architecture.
- 2
A decorative design, originally representing vine branches or tendrils, at the head of a chapter, of a manuscript or printed book, or in a similar position.
- 3
Any small borderless picture in a book, especially an engraving, photograph, or the like, which vanishes gradually at the edge.
- 4
A short story or anecdote that presents a scene or tableau, or paints a picture.
- 5
The central pictorial image on a postage stamp.
- 6
The characteristic of a camera lens, either by deficiency in design or by mismatch of the lens with the film format, that produces an image smaller than the film's frame with a crudely focused border. Photographers may deliberately choose this characteristic for a special effect.
- 7
Any effect in a photographic picture where qualities vanish towards the edges.
- 8
A hardware deficiency (even occurring in most expensive models) of a computer display wherein the picture slants towards a colour or brightness towards the edges especially if viewed from an angle.
verb
- 1
To make, as an engraving or a photograph, with a border or edge gradually fading away.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Vignette in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | viñeta |
| French | vignette |
| German | Vignette , bildhafte Darstellung, Szenerie |
| Portuguese | vinheta , vinhetagem |
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 vignette come from?
First attested in 1751. From French vignette, diminutive of vigne (“vine”), from Latin vīnea, from vīnum (“wine”). Replaced earlier Middle English vynet.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).