accolade

/ˈæk.əˌleɪd/

//ˈæk.əˌleɪd// noun

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

"accolade" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accolade” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,026. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,026
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An expression of approval; praise.

Corpus desk

Index EN-accolade · accolade · English

accolade · rank #36,026 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,026
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH abetting

Nearest frequency peer: abetting (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “accolade”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “accolade” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for accolade
PropertyValue
Headwordaccolade
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæk.əˌleɪd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#36,026
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accolade” sits in English 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).accolade lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around accolade (IPA /ˈæk.əˌleɪd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,026 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for accolade, with forms such as "accloade", "accoalde", and "accoladde". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: First use appears c. 1591 in the publications of Thomas Lodge, borrowed from French accolade, from Occitan acolada (“an embrace”), from acolar (“to embrace”), from Italian accollato, from Vulgar Latin *accollō (“to hug around the neck”), from Latin ad- + co… The correct English form is accolade, spelled A-C-C-O-L-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An expression of approval; praise.
  2. 2
    A special acknowledgment; an award.
  3. 3
    An embrace of greeting or salutation.
  4. 4
    A salutation marking the conferring of knighthood, consisting of an embrace or a kiss, and a slight blow on the shoulders with the flat of a sword.
  5. 5
    A brace used to join two or more staves.
  6. 6
    A written presidential certificate recognizing service by military personnel or civilians serving the US armed forces who died or were wounded in action between 1917 and 1918, or who died in service between 1941 and 1947, or died of wounds received in Korea between June 27, 1950 and July 27, 1954.
  7. 7
    An ornament composed of two ogee curves meeting in the middle, each concave toward its outer extremity and convex toward the point at which it meets the other.
  8. 8
    Synonym of curly bracket.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how accolade appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. This film is likely to pick up major accolades.
  2. Rooney led Manchester United up the Wembley steps to collect the FA Cup and add a missing medal to his collection - a richly deserved accolade.

Etymology

First use appears c. 1591 in the publications of Thomas Lodge, borrowed from French accolade, from Occitan acolada (“an embrace”), from acolar (“to embrace”), from Italian accollato, from Vulgar Latin *accollō (“to hug around the neck”), from Latin ad- + collum (“neck”) (English collar).

Synonyms

panegyric

This word in other languages

elogio(Español)accolade(Français)Anerkennung(Deutsch)elogio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • accloade
  • accoalde
  • accoladde
  • accolaed
  • accoldae
  • accollade
  • acoclade
  • acolade
  • cacolade

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of accolade - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

accloade2accoalde2accoladde1accolaed2accoldae2accollade1acoclade2acolade1
Edit distance from "accolade"

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

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "accolade"?
"accolade" is spelled A-C-C-O-L-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæk.əˌleɪd/.
What does "accolade" mean?
As a noun, "accolade" means: An expression of approval; praise.
What are common misspellings of "accolade"?
Common misspellings include "accloade", "accoalde", "accoladde", "accolaed", "accoldae". The correct spelling is "accolade".
How do you pronounce "accolade"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accolade" is /ˈæk.əˌleɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "accolade"?
First use appears c. 1591 in the publications of Thomas Lodge, borrowed from French accolade, from Occitan acolada (“an embrace”), from acolar (“to embrace”), from Italian accollato, from Vulgar Latin *accollō (“to hug around the neck”), from Lati... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "accolade", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

abetting#36,025volition#36,008baguette#36,047bounties#36,053

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Andrey9 variantswhittle9 variantsatelier9 variantstropic9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "accolade". Here's where to go from here.

  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #36,026 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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