carbuncle

/ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩/

//ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“carbuncle” is uncommon English (frequency #74,807 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,807
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone, especially when cut cabochon.

Key facts for carbuncle
PropertyValue
Headwordcarbuncle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#74,807
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “carbuncle” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). carbuncle lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

carbuncle is uncommon English at frequency #74,807 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

carbuncle has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English carbuncle, charbocle, from Old French carbuncle, charbuncle, from Latin carbunculus (“a small coal; a reddish kind of precious stone; a kind of tumor”), diminutive of carbō (“a coal, charcoal”). Doublet of Garfinkel and Garfunkel. The correct English form is carbuncle, spelled C-A-R-B-U-N-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone, especially when cut cabochon.
  2. 2
    A charge or bearing supposed to represent the precious stone, with eight sceptres or staves radiating from a common centre; an escarbuncle.
  3. 3
    An abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by staphylococcal infection.
  4. 4
    An unpopular or ugly building; an eyesore.

Etymology

From Middle English carbuncle, charbocle, from Old French carbuncle, charbuncle, from Latin carbunculus (“a small coal; a reddish kind of precious stone; a kind of tumor”), diminutive of carbō (“a coal, charcoal”). Doublet of Garfinkel and Garfunkel.

This word in other languages

carbunclo(Español)carboucle(Français)Karfunkel(Deutsch)

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 "carbuncle"?
"carbuncle" is spelled C-A-R-B-U-N-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩/.
What does "carbuncle" mean?
As a noun, "carbuncle" means: A deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone, especially when cut cabochon.
How do you pronounce "carbuncle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "carbuncle" is /ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩/. 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 "carbuncle"?
From Middle English carbuncle, charbocle, from Old French carbuncle, charbuncle, from Latin carbunculus (“a small coal; a reddish kind of precious stone; a kind of tumor”), diminutive of carbō (“a coal, charcoal”). Doublet of Garfinkel and Garfunkel. 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.

Using “carbuncle”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-R-B-U-N-C-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list