illecebrous

/ɪˈlɛsɪbɹəs/

//ɪˈlɛsɪbɹəs// adj

"illecebrous" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Tending to attract; enticing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-illecebrous · illecebrous · English

illecebrous · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" 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 illecebrous
PropertyValue
Headwordillecebrous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪˈlɛsɪbɹəs/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “illecebrous” in English

illecebrousfalls 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

illecebrous is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪˈlɛsɪbɹəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Tending to attract; enticing.".

No misspelling variants are generated for illecebrous in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin and Latin illecebrōsus (“attractive, enticing”) + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives denoting possession or presence of a quality, commonly in abundance). Illecebrōsus is derived from illecebra (“enticement, lure”) + -ōsus (suf… The correct English form is illecebrous, spelled I-L-L-E-C-E-B-R-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tending to attract; enticing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [The Firste Boke, Chapter VII (In What Wise Musike may be to a Noble Man Nessarie: And what Modestie ought to be therin), page 26] And therfore the great kynge Alexander, whan he had vainquisshed Ilion, where some tyme was set the moste noble citie of Troy, beinge demaunded of one if he wold se the harpe of Paris Alexander, who rauisshed Helene, he therat…
  2. † Illecebrous, (lat[in]) alluring, charming, or inticing.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin and Latin illecebrōsus (“attractive, enticing”) + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives denoting possession or presence of a quality, commonly in abundance). Illecebrōsus is derived from illecebra (“enticement, lure”) + -ōsus (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘full of’); illecebra from illiciō (“to entice, seduce”) (from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, within’) + laciō (“to ensnare, entice”)) + -bra (suffix forming nouns denoting an instrument).

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 "illecebrous"?
"illecebrous" is spelled I-L-L-E-C-E-B-R-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈlɛsɪbɹəs/.
What does "illecebrous" mean?
As an adjective, "illecebrous" means: Tending to attract; enticing.
How do you pronounce "illecebrous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "illecebrous" is /ɪˈlɛsɪbɹəs/. 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 "illecebrous"?
Borrowed from Late Latin and Latin illecebrōsus (“attractive, enticing”) + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives denoting possession or presence of a quality, commonly in abundance). Illecebrōsus is derived from illecebra (“enticement, lure”) + ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
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Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list