algal

/ˈælɡəl/

//ˈælɡəl// adj

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

"algal" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“algal” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,991. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,991
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining to, or like, algae.

Corpus desk

Index EN-algal · algal · English

algal · rank #41,991 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,991
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Alessandra

Nearest frequency peer: Alessandra (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “algal”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “algal” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

algal vs all
60% similar
algal vs anal
60% similar
algal vs alma
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for algal
PropertyValue
Headwordalgal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈælɡəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#41,991
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “algal”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).algallands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Alessandra” (#41,990), “Alegre” (#41,989), “allay” (#41,993). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “algal” is #41,991. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around algal (IPA /ˈælɡəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #41,991 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Pertaining to, or like, algae.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for algal, with forms such as "aglal", "alagl", and "algall". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "all", "anal", "alma", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From alga + -al. The correct English form is algal, spelled A-L-G-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to, or like, algae.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Wallace [...] came closer to the dense algal stink of the lake.

Etymology

From alga + -al.

This word in other languages

algal(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aglal
  • alagl
  • algall
  • alggal
  • algla
  • allgal
  • lagal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of algal - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

aglal2alagl2algall1alggal1algla2allgal1lagal2
Edit distance from "algal"

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 "algal"?
"algal" is spelled A-L-G-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈælɡəl/.
What does "algal" mean?
As an adjective, "algal" means: Pertaining to, or like, algae.
What words are commonly confused with "algal"?
"algal" is commonly confused with "all", "anal", "alma". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "algal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "algal" is /ˈælɡəl/. 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 "algal"?
From alga + -al. 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 "algal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

allay#41,993Arran#42,004adder#41,977Yonge#41,963

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Youssef7 variantswoolen7 variantsbream7 variantsCadiz7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list