Phenol

[feˈnoːl]

/[feˈnoːl]/ noun

The verdict

“Phenol” is uncommon German (frequency #83,155 among 49,534 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,155
frequency rank, German
49,534
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - farbloser, giftiger Stoff, der in Industrie und Medizin von Bedeutung ist und das einfachste [2] ist

Key facts for Phenol
PropertyValue
HeadwordPhenol
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[feˈnoːl]
Letters6
Frequency rank#83,155
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Phenol” sits in German 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). Phenol 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

Phenol is uncommon German at frequency #83,155 among 49,534 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [feˈnoːl]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Phenol has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Phenol, spelled P-H-E-N-O-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    farbloser, giftiger Stoff, der in Industrie und Medizin von Bedeutung ist und das einfachste [2] ist
  2. 2
    ein chemischer Stoff, der einen aromatischen Ring und daran gebundene Hydroxygruppen aufweist

Synonyms

CarbolHydroxybenzenHydroxy-CyclohexatrienHydroxybenzolKarbolsäureSteinkohlenteerkreosotBenzololBenzenol

This word in other languages

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Phenol"?
"Phenol" is spelled P-H-E-N-O-L. The IPA pronunciation is [feˈnoːl].
What does "Phenol" mean?
As a noun, "Phenol" means: farbloser, giftiger Stoff, der in Industrie und Medizin von Bedeutung ist und das einfachste [2] ist
How do you pronounce "Phenol"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Phenol" is [feˈnoːl]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Phenol" come from?
"Phenol" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “Phenol”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is P-H-E-N-O-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [feˈnoːl] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list