areola
/əˈɹi.ə.lə/
"areola" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“areola” is an uncommon English word, ranked #62,679 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #62,679
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The circular, darkly pigmented area surrounding a nipple; the areola mammae.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | areola |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /əˈɹi.ə.lə/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #62,679 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “areola” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for areola is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈɹi.ə.lə/. Corpus data places it at rank #62,679 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for areola in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin āreola (“small vacant space, garden”), diminutive of ārea. Doublet of areole. The correct English form is areola, spelled A-R-E-O-L-A.
Definition
- 1The circular, darkly pigmented area surrounding a nipple; the areola mammae.
- 2Any small circular area that is different from its immediate environment, such as the colored ring around the pupil of the eye (iris) or an inflamed region surrounding a pimple.
- 3Any of the small spaces throughout areolar connective tissue.
- 4Any of the small spaces between fibres of the tissues of certain lichens.
- 5Small patches, bearing the spines and glochids characteristic of the stems of cacti.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin āreola (“small vacant space, garden”), diminutive of ārea. Doublet of areole.
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
How do you spell "areola"?
What does "areola" mean?
How do you pronounce "areola"?
What is the origin of the word "areola"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “areola”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-R-E-O-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˈɹi.ə.lə/ (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.