argan

/ˈɑː(ɹ)ɡən/

//ˈɑː(ɹ)ɡən// noun

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

The verdict

“argan” is uncommon English (frequency #58,511 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,511
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A tree of species Sideroxylon spinosum (formerly Argania spinosa), of southwestern Morocco, particularly prized for its oil.

Corpus desk

Index EN-argan · argan · English

argan · rank #58,511 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,511
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH après

Nearest frequency peer: après (-2 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 “argan”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for argan
PropertyValue
Headwordargan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑː(ɹ)ɡən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#58,511
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “argan” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).arganfalls 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: “après” (#58,509), “anteriorly” (#58,507), “artemisia” (#58,515). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “argan” is #58,511. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

argan is uncommon English at frequency #58,511 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɑː(ɹ)ɡən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for argan in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Tashelhit argan. The correct English form is argan, spelled A-R-G-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tree of species Sideroxylon spinosum (formerly Argania spinosa), of southwestern Morocco, particularly prized for its oil.
  2. 2
    Fruit of this tree.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. When pressed, the argan tree’s fruit produces a luxurious oil which is rich in fatty acids, omega-6 and vitamin E. Argan is said to help treat many skin and hair conditions.

Etymology

From Tashelhit argan.

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 "argan"?
"argan" is spelled A-R-G-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑː(ɹ)ɡən/.
What does "argan" mean?
As a noun, "argan" means: A tree of species Sideroxylon spinosum (formerly Argania spinosa), of southwestern Morocco, particularly prized for its oil.
How do you pronounce "argan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "argan" is /ˈɑː(ɹ)ɡən/. 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 "argan"?
From Tashelhit argan. 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 "argan", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list