glandular

/ˈɡlan.djʊl.ə/

//ˈɡlan.djʊl.ə// adj

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

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

The verdict

“glandular” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #40,262 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#40,262
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pertaining to a gland or glands.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

glandular vs granular
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for glandular
PropertyValue
Headwordglandular
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɡlan.djʊl.ə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#40,262
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “glandular” 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). glandular lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for glandular is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡlan.djʊl.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #40,262 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for glandular, with forms such as "galndular", "gglandular", and "gladnular". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "granular", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Mid 18th century borrowing from French glandulaire, from glandule (“small gland”) + -aire (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix), from Latin glandulae (“glands of the throat”); equivalent to glandule + -ar. The correct English form is glandular, spelled G-L-A-N-D-U-L-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to a gland or glands.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to a gland or glands.
  3. 3
    Innate, inherent.
  4. 4
    Physical, sexual.

Etymology

Mid 18th century borrowing from French glandulaire, from glandule (“small gland”) + -aire (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix), from Latin glandulae (“glands of the throat”); equivalent to glandule + -ar.

Synonyms

glandulous

This word in other languages

glandulaire(Français)drüsig(Deutsch)glandular(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: galndular,gglandular,gladnular,glanddular,glandluar,glandualr,glandularr,glandullar,glandulra,glanndular,glanudlar,gllandular,glnadular,lgandular

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of glandular - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

galndular2gglandular1gladnular2glanddular1glandluar2glandualr2glandularr1glandullar1
Edit distance from "glandular"

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 "glandular"?
"glandular" is spelled G-L-A-N-D-U-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡlan.djʊl.ə/.
What does "glandular" mean?
As an adjective, "glandular" means: Pertaining to a gland or glands.
What words are commonly confused with "glandular"?
"glandular" is commonly confused with "granular". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "glandular"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "glandular" is /ˈɡlan.djʊl.ə/. 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 "glandular"?
Mid 18th century borrowing from French glandulaire, from glandule (“small gland”) + -aire (“-ar, -ary”, adjectival suffix), from Latin glandulae (“glands of the throat”); equivalent to glandule + -ar. 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 “glandular”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-L-A-N-D-U-L-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡlan.djʊl.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “granular” - see the side-by-side comparison. glandular vs granular
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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