epochal

[ˈɛ.pək.əl]

/[ˈɛ.pək.əl]/ adj

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

The verdict

“epochal” is uncommon English (frequency #81,304 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,304
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or pertaining to an epoch.

Corpus desk

Index EN-epochal · epochal · English

epochal · rank #81,304 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #81,304
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 18,836
  • PHOTO-FINISH entrenchment

Nearest frequency peer: entrenchment (-3 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “epochal”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “epochal” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for epochal
PropertyValue
Headwordepochal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈɛ.pək.əl]
Letters7
Frequency rank#81,304
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “epochal” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

epochal is uncommon English at frequency #81,304 among 18,836 “E” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed [ˈɛ.pək.əl]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

epochal doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From epoch + -al. The correct English form is epochal, spelled E-P-O-C-H-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to an epoch.
  2. 2
    Highly important or significant; monumental, epoch-making.

Etymology

From epoch + -al.

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); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "epochal"?
"epochal" is spelled E-P-O-C-H-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɛ.pək.əl].
What does "epochal" mean?
As an adjective, "epochal" means: Of or pertaining to an epoch.
How do you pronounce "epochal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "epochal" is [ˈɛ.pək.əl]. 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 "epochal"?
From epoch + -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 "epochal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list