goldenrod

/ˈɡoʊldənˌɹɑd/

//ˈɡoʊldənˌɹɑd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“goldenrod” is uncommon English (frequency #72,354 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,354
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any tall-stemmed plant principally from genus Solidago (also Oligoneuron), usually with clusters of small yellow flowers.

Key facts for goldenrod
PropertyValue
Headwordgoldenrod
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡoʊldənˌɹɑd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#72,354
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “goldenrod” 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). goldenrod 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

goldenrod is uncommon English at frequency #72,354 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡoʊldənˌɹɑd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for goldenrod in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From golden + rod. The correct English form is goldenrod, spelled G-O-L-D-E-N-R-O-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any tall-stemmed plant principally from genus Solidago (also Oligoneuron), usually with clusters of small yellow flowers.
  2. 2
    A golden-yellow colour, like that of the goldenrod plant.

Etymology

From golden + rod.

This word in other languages

verge-d'or(Français)Goldrute(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 "goldenrod"?
"goldenrod" is spelled G-O-L-D-E-N-R-O-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡoʊldənˌɹɑd/.
What does "goldenrod" mean?
As a noun, "goldenrod" means: Any tall-stemmed plant principally from genus Solidago (also Oligoneuron), usually with clusters of small yellow flowers.
How do you pronounce "goldenrod"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "goldenrod" is /ˈɡoʊldənˌɹɑd/. 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 "goldenrod"?
From golden + rod. 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 “goldenrod”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-O-L-D-E-N-R-O-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡoʊldənˌɹɑd/ (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