linoleic

/ˌlɪn.ə(ʊ)ˈliː.ɪk/

//ˌlɪn.ə(ʊ)ˈliː.ɪk// adj

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

"linoleic" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“linoleic” is uncommon English (frequency #70,833 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,833
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, or derived from linoleum, or linseed oil

Corpus desk

Index EN-linoleic · linoleic · English

linoleic · rank #70,833 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #70,833
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH limpet

Nearest frequency peer: limpet (-1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “linoleic”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “linoleic” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for linoleic
PropertyValue
Headwordlinoleic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌlɪn.ə(ʊ)ˈliː.ɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#70,833
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “linoleic” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).linoleicfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “limpet” (#70,832), “Liddy” (#70,831), “Lippman” (#70,835). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “linoleic” is #70,833. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

linoleic is uncommon English at frequency #70,833 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌlɪn.ə(ʊ)ˈliː.ɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for linoleic in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin linum (“flax”) + oleic acid, for saturating its omega-6 double bond produces oleic acid. The correct English form is linoleic, spelled L-I-N-O-L-E-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, or derived from linoleum, or linseed oil
  2. 2
    designating an organic fatty acid, a thin yellow oil, found combined as an ester of glycerol in oils of linseed, poppy, hemp, and certain nuts; it is a polyunsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms and two double bonds.

Etymology

From Latin linum (“flax”) + oleic acid, for saturating its omega-6 double bond produces oleic acid.

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 "linoleic"?
"linoleic" is spelled L-I-N-O-L-E-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌlɪn.ə(ʊ)ˈliː.ɪk/.
What does "linoleic" mean?
As an adjective, "linoleic" means: Of, or derived from linoleum, or linseed oil
How do you pronounce "linoleic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "linoleic" is /ˌlɪn.ə(ʊ)ˈliː.ɪk/. 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 "linoleic"?
From Latin linum (“flax”) + oleic acid, for saturating its omega-6 double bond produces oleic acid. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "linoleic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

laudanum#70,825jingling#70,790McDevitt#70,885McLemore#70,886

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list