coloratura

/kɒləɹəˈtjʊɹə/

//kɒləɹəˈtjʊɹə// noun

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

"coloratura" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coloratura” is uncommon English (frequency #99,120 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,120
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Florid or fancy passages in vocal music.

Key facts for coloratura
PropertyValue
Headwordcoloratura
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɒləɹəˈtjʊɹə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#99,120
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coloratura” 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). coloratura 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

coloratura is uncommon English at frequency #99,120 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kɒləɹəˈtjʊɹə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

coloratura doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Italian coloratura, from Late Latin colōrātūra, from colōrāre (“to colour”). The correct English form is coloratura, spelled C-O-L-O-R-A-T-U-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Florid or fancy passages in vocal music.
  2. 2
    A singer of such passages, especially a soprano.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian coloratura, from Late Latin colōrātūra, from colōrāre (“to colour”).

This word in other languages

colorature(Français)Koloratur(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 "coloratura"?
"coloratura" is spelled C-O-L-O-R-A-T-U-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /kɒləɹəˈtjʊɹə/.
What does "coloratura" mean?
As a noun, "coloratura" means: Florid or fancy passages in vocal music.
How do you pronounce "coloratura"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coloratura" is /kɒləɹəˈtjʊɹə/. 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 "coloratura"?
Borrowed from Italian coloratura, from Late Latin colōrātūra, from colōrāre (“to colour”). 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 “coloratura”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-L-O-R-A-T-U-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɒləɹəˈtjʊɹə/ (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