gracile
/ˈɡɹæsaɪl/
"gracile" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“gracile” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lean, slender, thin.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | gracile |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈɡɹæsaɪl/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “gracile” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for gracile is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɹæsaɪl/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for gracile, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French gracil, gracile (“slender, thin”) (modern French gracile (“gracile”)), or directly from its etymon Latin gracilis (“slender, slim, thin; lean, meagre, scanty; simple, unadorned”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kerḱ- (“to b… The correct English form is gracile, spelled G-R-A-C-I-L-E.
Definition
- 1Lean, slender, thin.
- 2Of an animal or skeletal element: having a slender frame.
- 3Graceful or gracefully slender.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French gracil, gracile (“slender, thin”) (modern French gracile (“gracile”)), or directly from its etymon Latin gracilis (“slender, slim, thin; lean, meagre, scanty; simple, unadorned”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kerḱ- (“to become thin; to wane”). The sense “graceful or gracefully slender” was apparently influenced by the non-cognate word grace. The English word is cognate with Italian gracile (“delicate, frail; slender, thin”), Portuguese grácil, Spanish grácil (“graceful; delicate; slender”), and a doublet of gracilis.
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 "gracile"?
What does "gracile" mean?
How do you pronounce "gracile"?
What is the origin of the word "gracile"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “gracile”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-R-A-C-I-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɡɹæsaɪl/ (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
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.