perífrasis

[peˈɾifɾasis]

/[peˈɾifɾasis]/ noun

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

The verdict

“perífrasis” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #99,933 among 48,357 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,933
frequency rank, Spanish
48,357
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Construcción léxica de múltiples palabras que expresa lo mismo que una sola unidad léxica particular.

Key facts for perífrasis
PropertyValue
Headwordperífrasis
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[peˈɾifɾasis]
Letters10
Frequency rank#99,933
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “perífrasis” sits in Spanish 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). perífrasis 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

perífrasis is uncommon Spanish at frequency #99,933 among 48,357 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [peˈɾifɾasis]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for perífrasis in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is perífrasis, spelled P-E-R-Í-F-R-A-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Construcción léxica de múltiples palabras que expresa lo mismo que una sola unidad léxica particular.
  2. 2
    Figura que consiste en expresar por medio de un rodeo de palabras algo que hubiera podido decirse con menos o con una sola, pero no tan bella, enérgica o hábilmente.

Synonyms

circunlocución

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "perífrasis"?
"perífrasis" is spelled P-E-R-Í-F-R-A-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is [peˈɾifɾasis].
What does "perífrasis" mean?
As a noun, "perífrasis" means: Construcción léxica de múltiples palabras que expresa lo mismo que una sola unidad léxica particular.
How do you pronounce "perífrasis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perífrasis" is [peˈɾifɾasis]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "perífrasis" come from?
"perífrasis" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “perífrasis”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is P-E-R-Í-F-R-A-S-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [peˈɾifɾasis] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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