emollient

/ɪˈmɒl.ɪ.ənt/

//ɪˈmɒl.ɪ.ənt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“emollient” is uncommon English (frequency #85,217 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,217
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something which softens or lubricates the skin; moisturizer.

Corpus desk

Index EN-emollient · emollient · English

emollient · rank #85,217 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,217
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Emmie

Nearest frequency peer: Emmie (-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 “emollient”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for emollient
PropertyValue
Headwordemollient
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈmɒl.ɪ.ənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#85,217
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “emollient” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).emollientfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Emmie” (#85,216), “encase” (#85,219), “elution” (#85,214). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “emollient” is #85,217. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

emollient is uncommon English at frequency #85,217 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪˈmɒl.ɪ.ənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for emollient in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French émollient, from Latin emolliēns, present active participle of ēmolliō (“make soft”), from ex- + molliō, from mollis (“soft”). The correct English form is emollient, spelled E-M-O-L-L-I-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something which softens or lubricates the skin; moisturizer.
  2. 2
    Anything soothing the mind, or that makes something more acceptable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 2008, Carol A. Miller, Nursing for Wellness in Older Adults (Fifth edition), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, p. 505, [T]he effectiveness of an emollient is based on its ability to prevent water evaporation, […]
  2. "Several of the visitors then partook for a short time, with evident Parisian gusto, of the pleasures of the dance," yes--we did, and the lovely girls with whom we polked (ladies being one of the Club emollients) were eloquent in praise of our exquisite tournures which were shown to such advantage beneath our tight uniforms.

Etymology

From French émollient, from Latin emolliēns, present active participle of ēmolliō (“make soft”), from ex- + molliō, from mollis (“soft”).

This word in other languages

emoliente(Español)émollient(Français)Pflegemittel(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 "emollient"?
"emollient" is spelled E-M-O-L-L-I-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈmɒl.ɪ.ənt/.
What does "emollient" mean?
As a noun, "emollient" means: Something which softens or lubricates the skin; moisturizer.
How do you pronounce "emollient"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "emollient" is /ɪˈmɒl.ɪ.ənt/. 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 "emollient"?
From French émollient, from Latin emolliēns, present active participle of ēmolliō (“make soft”), from ex- + molliō, from mollis (“soft”). 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 "emollient", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ecumenism#85,210ductility#85,200dubiously#85,199downtempo#85,193

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list