falafel

/fəˈlɑːfəl/

//fəˈlɑːfəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“falafel” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,771. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,771
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita.

Key facts for falafel
PropertyValue
Headwordfalafel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fəˈlɑːfəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#44,771
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “falafel” 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). falafel lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around falafel (IPA /fəˈlɑːfəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,771 among 18,613 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for falafel, with forms such as "aflafel", "faalfel", and "falaefl". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil). Doublet of peepul and pepper. The correct English form is falafel, spelled F-A-L-A-F-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita.
  2. 2
    A pita with falafel balls as a filling.
  3. 3
    A single falafel ball.

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil). Doublet of peepul and pepper.

This word in other languages

falafel(Español)falafels(Français)Falafel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aflafel
  • faalfel
  • falaefl
  • falafell
  • falaffel
  • falafle
  • falfael
  • fallafel
  • ffalafel
  • flaafel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of falafel - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

aflafel2faalfel2falaefl2falafell1falaffel1falafle2falfael2fallafel1
Edit distance from "falafel"

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 "falafel"?
"falafel" is spelled F-A-L-A-F-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /fəˈlɑːfəl/.
What does "falafel" mean?
As a noun, "falafel" means: A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita.
What are common misspellings of "falafel"?
Common misspellings include "aflafel", "faalfel", "falaefl", "falafell", "falaffel". The correct spelling is "falafel".
How do you pronounce "falafel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "falafel" is /fəˈlɑːfəl/. 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 "falafel"?
Borrowed from Arabic فَلَافِل (falāfil). Doublet of peepul and pepper. 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.

Using “falafel”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-A-L-A-F-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fəˈlɑːfəl/ (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

Same frequency band

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list