Algol
"algol" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Algol” is an uncommon English word, ranked #89,087 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.
- #89,087
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An eclipsing binary star in the constellation of Perseus; Beta (β) Persei. It represents the eye of Medusa, whose head is being held by Perseus.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Algol |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #89,087 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Algol” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for Algol is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun. Corpus data places it at rank #89,087 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "An eclipsing binary star in the constellation of Perseus; Beta (β) Persei. It represents the eye of Medusa, whose head is being held by Perseus.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Algol, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. 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: From Arabic الْغُول (al-ḡūl, “the ghoul”). The correct English form is Algol, spelled A-L-G-O-L.
Definition
- 1An eclipsing binary star in the constellation of Perseus; Beta (β) Persei. It represents the eye of Medusa, whose head is being held by Perseus.
Etymology
From Arabic الْغُول (al-ḡūl, “the ghoul”).
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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “Algol”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-L-G-O-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.