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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,026 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#36,026
frequency rank, English
8
letters
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An expression of approval; praise.

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 →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for accolade is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæk.əˌleɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,026 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

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.

Using “accolade”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-C-O-L-A-D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæk.əˌleɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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