girandole

/ˈdʒɪrənˌdoʊl/

//ˈdʒɪrənˌdoʊl// noun

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

The verdict

“girandole” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An ornamental branched candle holder, sometimes with a mirror behind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-girandole · girandole · English

girandole · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "G" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for girandole
PropertyValue
Headwordgirandole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdʒɪrənˌdoʊl/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “girandole” in English

girandolefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

girandole is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdʒɪrənˌdoʊl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for girandole, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French girandole, from Italian girandola, from girare (“to turn, gyrate”). The correct English form is girandole, spelled G-I-R-A-N-D-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ornamental branched candle holder, sometimes with a mirror behind.
  2. 2
    A type of firework which creates a "whirling top" or "flying saucer" effect.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how girandole appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 1847, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Chapter XVIII As I sat in my usual nook, and looked at him with the light of the girandoles on the mantelpiece beaming full over him...
  2. It was a scene of gaiety, glitter, and show; of richly–dressed people, handsome mirrors, chalked floors, girandoles and wax–candles; and in all parts of the scene, gliding from spot to spot in silent softness, bowing obsequiously to this party, nodding familiarly to that, and smiling complacently on all, was the sprucely–attired person of Angelo Cyrus Ban…

Etymology

From French girandole, from Italian girandola, from girare (“to turn, gyrate”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "girandole"?
"girandole" is spelled G-I-R-A-N-D-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʒɪrənˌdoʊl/.
What does "girandole" mean?
As a noun, "girandole" means: An ornamental branched candle holder, sometimes with a mirror behind.
How do you pronounce "girandole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "girandole" is /ˈdʒɪrənˌdoʊl/. 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 "girandole"?
From French girandole, from Italian girandola, from girare (“to turn, gyrate”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list