adagio

/əˈdɑːd͡ʒiəʊ/

//əˈdɑːd͡ʒiəʊ// noun

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

"adagio" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“adagio” is uncommon English (frequency #52,758 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,758
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played rather slowly, leisurely and gracefully.

Corpus desk

Index EN-adagio · adagio · English

adagio · rank #52,758 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,758
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH actuary

Nearest frequency peer: actuary (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “adagio”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “adagio” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for adagio
PropertyValue
Headwordadagio
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈdɑːd͡ʒiəʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#52,758
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “adagio” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).adagiofalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “actuary” (#52,757), “achiever” (#52,756), “aircrew” (#52,760). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “adagio” is #52,758. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

adagio is uncommon English at frequency #52,758 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /əˈdɑːd͡ʒiəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for adagio, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Italian adagio. The correct English form is adagio, spelled A-D-A-G-I-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played rather slowly, leisurely and gracefully.
  2. 2
    A passage having this mark.
  3. 3
    A male-female duet or mixed trio ballet displaying demanding balance, spins and/or lifts.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian adagio.

This word in other languages

adágio(Português)

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 "adagio"?
"adagio" is spelled A-D-A-G-I-O. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈdɑːd͡ʒiəʊ/.
What does "adagio" mean?
As a noun, "adagio" means: A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played rather slowly, leisurely and gracefully.
How do you pronounce "adagio"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "adagio" is /əˈdɑːd͡ʒiəʊ/. 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 "adagio"?
Borrowed from Italian adagio. 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 "adagio", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

accede#52,754alexia#52,766abbess#52,748archon#52,778

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list