ergot

/ˈəːɡət/

//ˈəːɡət// noun

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

"ergot" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ergot” is uncommon English (frequency #85,229 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,229
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any fungus in the genus Claviceps which are parasitic on grasses.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ergot · ergot · English

ergot · rank #85,229 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,229
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 18,836
  • PHOTO-FINISH escutcheon

Nearest frequency peer: escutcheon (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “ergot”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “ergot” 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 ergot
PropertyValue
Headwordergot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈəːɡət/
Letters5
Frequency rank#85,229
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ergot” 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). ergot 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

ergot is uncommon English at frequency #85,229 among 18,836 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈəːɡət/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for ergot in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French ergot. The correct English form is ergot, spelled E-R-G-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any fungus in the genus Claviceps which are parasitic on grasses.
  2. 2
    The sclerotium (wintering stage) of certain fungi in the genus Claviceps, appearing as a deformed grain in certain cereals and grasses infected by the fungi.
  3. 3
    The wart-like growth of skin that covers the metacarpal pad on a horse or similar animal.

Etymology

Borrowed from French ergot.

This word in other languages

cornezuelo(Español)ergot(Français)Mutterkorn(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.

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 "ergot"?
"ergot" is spelled E-R-G-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈəːɡət/.
What does "ergot" mean?
As a noun, "ergot" means: Any fungus in the genus Claviceps which are parasitic on grasses.
How do you pronounce "ergot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ergot" is /ˈəːɡət/. 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 "ergot"?
Borrowed from French ergot. 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 "ergot", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Emmie#85,216Feild#85,245Funes#85,270Furby#85,271
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