decadal

[dɪˈkeɪdəɫ]

/[dɪˈkeɪdəɫ]/ adj

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

"decadal" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“decadal” is uncommon English (frequency #76,694 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,694
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or related to the number ten.

Corpus desk

Index EN-decadal · decadal · English

decadal · rank #76,694 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #76,694
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH debenture

Nearest frequency peer: debenture (-1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “decadal”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “decadal” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for decadal
PropertyValue
Headworddecadal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[dɪˈkeɪdəɫ]
Letters7
Frequency rank#76,694
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “decadal” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “debenture” (#76,693), “decamp” (#76,695), “decommission” (#76,697). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “decadal” is #76,694. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

decadal is uncommon English at frequency #76,694 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed [dɪˈkeɪdəɫ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for decadal in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From decade + -al. The correct English form is decadal, spelled D-E-C-A-D-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or related to the number ten.
  2. 2
    Of or related to a decade, in its various senses.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. About the same time in a decadal sense, there was a rather unexpected discovery.

Etymology

From decade + -al.

Synonyms

decennial

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 "decadal"?
"decadal" is spelled D-E-C-A-D-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [dɪˈkeɪdəɫ].
What does "decadal" mean?
As an adjective, "decadal" means: Of or related to the number ten.
How do you pronounce "decadal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decadal" is [dɪˈkeɪdəɫ]. 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 "decadal"?
From decade + -al. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "decadal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Deeside#76,699Dahomey#76,687corsage#76,670Doulton#76,729

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list