# coral

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɒɹəl/ · frequency rank #8,770

## Definitions
1. Any of many species of marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa, most of which build hard calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies, or a colony belonging to one of those species.
2. A hard substance made of the skeletons of these organisms.
3. A somewhat yellowish orange-pink color; the color of red coral (Corallium rubrum) of the Mediterranean Sea, commonly used as an ornament or gem.
4. The ovaries of a cooked lobster; so called from their color.
5. A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything.

## Etymology
From Old French coral (French corail), from Latin corallium, from Ancient Greek κοράλλιον (korállion, “coral”). Probably ultimately of Semitic origin, compare Hebrew גּוֹרָל (goral, “small pebble”), Arabic جَرَل (jaral, “small stone”), originally referring to the red variety found in the Mediterranean. Since ancient times, a common folk etymology, accepted by some earlier scholars, connected the word instead to Ancient Greek κόρη (kórē) (referring to Medusa). Beekes mentions both theories and considers the Semitic one convincing.

## Easily confused with
- **core** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-core)
- **crap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-crap)
- **corn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-corn)
- **cord** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cord)
- **crab** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-crab)
- **cork** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cork)
- **Cory** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cory)
- **curl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-curl)
- **Ctrl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-ctrl)
- **cram** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cram)
- **cray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cray)
- **cowl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cowl)
- **corr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-corr)
- **crag** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-crag)
- **corps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-corps)
- **crawl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-crawl)
- **Corey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-corey)
- **cores** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cores)
- **Cyril** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cyril)
- **cords** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coral-vs-cords)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ccoral`, `coarl`, `corall`, `corla`, `croal`, `ocral`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coral