flagellum

/fləˈd͡ʒɛləm/

//fləˈd͡ʒɛləm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“flagellum” is uncommon English (frequency #83,252 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,252
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In protists, a long, whiplike membrane-enclosed organelle used for locomotion or feeding.

Corpus desk

Index EN-flagellum · flagellum · English

flagellum · rank #83,252 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #83,252
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fleetingly

Nearest frequency peer: fleetingly (+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 “flagellum”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for flagellum
PropertyValue
Headwordflagellum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fləˈd͡ʒɛləm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#83,252
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “flagellum” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “fleetingly” (#83,253), “firebomb” (#83,250), “flory” (#83,254). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “flagellum” is #83,252. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

flagellum is uncommon English at frequency #83,252 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /fləˈd͡ʒɛləm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for flagellum, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin flagellum (“whip”), diminutive of flagrum. The correct English form is flagellum, spelled F-L-A-G-E-L-L-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    In protists, a long, whiplike membrane-enclosed organelle used for locomotion or feeding.
  2. 2
    In bacteria, a long, whiplike proteinaceous appendage, used for locomotion.
  3. 3
    A whip.

Etymology

From Latin flagellum (“whip”), diminutive of flagrum.

Synonyms

ciliumwhip

This word in other languages

flagelo(Español)flagelle(Français)Geißel(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 "flagellum"?
"flagellum" is spelled F-L-A-G-E-L-L-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /fləˈd͡ʒɛləm/.
What does "flagellum" mean?
As a noun, "flagellum" means: In protists, a long, whiplike membrane-enclosed organelle used for locomotion or feeding.
How do you pronounce "flagellum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flagellum" is /fləˈd͡ʒɛləm/. 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 "flagellum"?
From Latin flagellum (“whip”), diminutive of flagrum. 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 "flagellum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Fruitvale#83,262expiation#83,234garrulous#83,273Grampians#83,300

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list