corbel

/ˈkɔːbəl/

//ˈkɔːbəl// noun

"corbel" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A structural member jutting out of a wall to carry a superincumbent weight.

Corpus desk

Index EN-corbel · corbel · English

corbel · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" 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 corbel
PropertyValue
Headwordcorbel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɔːbəl/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “corbel” in English

corbelranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

corbel is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɔːbəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A structural member jutting out of a wall to carry a superincumbent weight.".

corbel has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English corbel, from Old French corbel, from Late Latin corbellus, corvellus, diminutive of Latin corvus (“raven”). The correct English form is corbel, spelled C-O-R-B-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A structural member jutting out of a wall to carry a superincumbent weight.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The booking hall is lofty and of peculiar design, the roof being carried on timbered beams set in pairs rising from carved corbels.

Etymology

From Middle English corbel, from Old French corbel, from Late Latin corbellus, corvellus, diminutive of Latin corvus (“raven”).

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 "corbel"?
"corbel" is spelled C-O-R-B-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɔːbəl/.
What does "corbel" mean?
As a noun, "corbel" means: A structural member jutting out of a wall to carry a superincumbent weight.
How do you pronounce "corbel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "corbel" is /ˈkɔːbəl/. 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 "corbel"?
From Middle English corbel, from Old French corbel, from Late Latin corbellus, corvellus, diminutive of Latin corvus (“raven”). 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