basilar

/ˈbas.ɪl.ə/

//ˈbas.ɪl.ə// adj

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

"basilar" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“basilar” is uncommon English (frequency #94,569 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#94,569
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, pertaining to, or located at a base, but especially at the base of the skull or an organ of Corti.

Corpus desk

Index EN-basilar · basilar · English

basilar · rank #94,569 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #94,569
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH Basheer

Nearest frequency peer: Basheer (-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 “basilar”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for basilar
PropertyValue
Headwordbasilar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbas.ɪl.ə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#94,569
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “basilar” 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).basilarfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Basheer” (#94,568), “basest” (#94,567), “bather” (#94,571). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “basilar” is #94,569. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

basilar is uncommon English at frequency #94,569 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈbas.ɪl.ə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for basilar, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowing from New Latin basilāris, irregularly from basis (“a pedestal, foot, base”) + -āris (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix); or from French basilaire, from base (“base, basis”) + -aire (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix), in the pattern of cimbalaire (“cymb… The correct English form is basilar, spelled B-A-S-I-L-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, pertaining to, or located at a base, but especially at the base of the skull or an organ of Corti.
  2. 2
    Lower, inferior, base.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. […] that which he has in common with the lion, the cow and the horse—namely, the basilar instincts and appetites that in the animal creation constitute the whole.

Etymology

Borrowing from New Latin basilāris, irregularly from basis (“a pedestal, foot, base”) + -āris (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix); or from French basilaire, from base (“base, basis”) + -aire (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix), in the pattern of cimbalaire (“cymbal-shaped”).

Synonyms

basal

This word in other languages

basilar(Español)

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 "basilar"?
"basilar" is spelled B-A-S-I-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbas.ɪl.ə/.
What does "basilar" mean?
As an adjective, "basilar" means: Of, pertaining to, or located at a base, but especially at the base of the skull or an organ of Corti.
How do you pronounce "basilar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "basilar" is /ˈbas.ɪl.ə/. 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 "basilar"?
Borrowing from New Latin basilāris, irregularly from basis (“a pedestal, foot, base”) + -āris (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix); or from French basilaire, from base (“base, basis”) + -aire (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix), in the pattern of cimbala... 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 "basilar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Basheer#94,568barkeep#94,566Balogun#94,561Bhavani#94,589

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list