opalescent

Name: opalescent, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/oʊpəˈlɛsənt/

//oʊpəˈlɛsənt// adj

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“opalescent” is uncommon English (frequency #97,384 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,384
frequency rank, English: 15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.

Key facts for opalescent
Property	Value
Headword	opalescent
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/oʊpəˈlɛsənt/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#97,384
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “opalescent” 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). opalescent lands here:

#97,384

#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

opalescent is uncommon English at frequency #97,384 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /oʊpəˈlɛsənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.".

No misspelling variants are generated for opalescent in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From opal + -escent. First attested in 1813. The correct English form is opalescent, spelled O-P-A-L-E-S-C-E-N-T.

Definition

1
Exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.

Etymology

From opal + -escent. First attested in 1813.

This word in other languages

opalescente(Español)opalescent(Français)opalescente(Português)

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 "opalescent"?

"opalescent" is spelled O-P-A-L-E-S-C-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /oʊpəˈlɛsənt/.

What does "opalescent" mean?

As an adjective, "opalescent" means: Exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.

How do you pronounce "opalescent"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "opalescent" is /oʊpəˈlɛsənt/. 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 "opalescent"?

From opal + -escent. First attested in 1813. 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 “opalescent”

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

The one correct English spelling is O-P-A-L-E-S-C-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /oʊpəˈlɛsənt/ (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.