becquerel

[bɛkəˈɹɛɫ]

/[bɛkəˈɹɛɫ]/ noun

"becquerel" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“becquerel” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In the International System of Units, the derived unit of radioactive activity; the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. Symbol: Bq

Corpus desk

Index EN-becquerel · becquerel · English

becquerel · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for becquerel
PropertyValue
Headwordbecquerel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[bɛkəˈɹɛɫ]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “becquerel” in English

becquerelfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

becquerel is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [bɛkəˈɹɛɫ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In the International System of Units, the derived unit of radioactive activity; the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. Symbol: Bq".

Zero misspellings are on record for becquerel 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: Borrowed from French becquerel. Named after the French physicist Henri Becquerel. The correct English form is becquerel, spelled B-E-C-Q-U-E-R-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    In the International System of Units, the derived unit of radioactive activity; the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. Symbol: Bq

Etymology

Borrowed from French becquerel. Named after the French physicist Henri Becquerel.

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "becquerel"?
"becquerel" is spelled B-E-C-Q-U-E-R-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is [bɛkəˈɹɛɫ].
What does "becquerel" mean?
As a noun, "becquerel" means: In the International System of Units, the derived unit of radioactive activity; the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. Symbol: Bq
How do you pronounce "becquerel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "becquerel" is [bɛkəˈɹɛɫ]. 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 "becquerel"?
Borrowed from French becquerel. Named after the French physicist Henri Becquerel. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list