glottal

/ˈɡlɒt.l̩/

//ˈɡlɒt.l̩// adj

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

The verdict

“glottal” is uncommon English (frequency #77,712 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#77,712
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or relating to the glottis.

Key facts for glottal
PropertyValue
Headwordglottal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɡlɒt.l̩/
Letters7
Frequency rank#77,712
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “glottal” 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). glottal lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

glottal is uncommon English at frequency #77,712 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɡlɒt.l̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for glottal, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From glottis + -al. The correct English form is glottal, spelled G-L-O-T-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to the glottis.
  2. 2
    Articulated with the glottis.

Etymology

From glottis + -al.

Synonyms

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

How do you spell "glottal"?
"glottal" is spelled G-L-O-T-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡlɒt.l̩/.
What does "glottal" mean?
As an adjective, "glottal" means: Of or relating to the glottis.
How do you pronounce "glottal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "glottal" is /ˈɡlɒt.l̩/. 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 "glottal"?
From glottis + -al. 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 “glottal”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-L-O-T-T-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡlɒt.l̩/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list