factorial
/fækˈtɔːɹi.əl/
"factorial" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“factorial” is uncommon English (frequency #51,697 among 18,613 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #51,697
- frequency rank, English
- 18,613
- “F” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The result of multiplying a given number of consecutive integers from 1 to the given number. In equations, it is symbolized by an exclamation mark (!). For example, 5! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 = 120.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | factorial |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /fækˈtɔːɹi.əl/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #51,697 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “factorial” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
factorial is uncommon English at frequency #51,697 among 18,613 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /fækˈtɔːɹi.əl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The result of multiplying a given number of consecutive integers from 1 to the given number. In equations, it is symbolized by an exclamation mark (!). For example, 5! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 = 120.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for factorial in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From factor + -ial. The correct English form is factorial, spelled F-A-C-T-O-R-I-A-L.
Definition
- 1The result of multiplying a given number of consecutive integers from 1 to the given number. In equations, it is symbolized by an exclamation mark (!). For example, 5! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 = 120.
Etymology
From factor + -ial.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “factorial”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-A-C-T-O-R-I-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /fækˈtɔːɹi.əl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this 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.