cornichon

/kɔɹ.nɪ.ʃɔn/

//kɔɹ.nɪ.ʃɔn// noun

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

The verdict

“cornichon” 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) - A dill-pickled gherkin cucumber.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cornichon · cornichon · English

cornichon · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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 cornichon
PropertyValue
Headwordcornichon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɔɹ.nɪ.ʃɔn/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cornichon” in English

cornichonranks 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

cornichon is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /kɔɹ.nɪ.ʃɔn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

cornichon has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French cornichon. The correct English form is cornichon, spelled C-O-R-N-I-C-H-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dill-pickled gherkin cucumber.
  2. 2
    A French-style pickled miniature cucumber.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Garnished with excellent Dijon-style mustard, horseradish, cornichons, sprinkled with diced gelee, it was close to perfection as one is likely to get on a dinner plate.
  2. Move over, dirty martini. The pickletini—with our clever Southern spin—is a tangier, more savory, arguably tastier cocktail. We love our pickled okra riff, but if okra isn't your thing, you can simply sub dill pickles (or cornichons). Dry vermouth adds a hint of herbal backbone, but you can omit it if you don't have it on hand. Despite 007's classic order…

Etymology

Borrowed from French cornichon.

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 "cornichon"?
"cornichon" is spelled C-O-R-N-I-C-H-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɔɹ.nɪ.ʃɔn/.
What does "cornichon" mean?
As a noun, "cornichon" means: A dill-pickled gherkin cucumber.
How do you pronounce "cornichon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cornichon" is /kɔɹ.nɪ.ʃɔn/. 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 "cornichon"?
Borrowed from French cornichon. 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