ortolan

/ˈɔː.təl.ən/

//ˈɔː.təl.ən// noun

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

"ortolan" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small European migratory bunting (Emberiza hortulana), once eaten whole as a delicacy.

Key facts for ortolan
PropertyValue
Headwordortolan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɔː.təl.ən/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ortolan” sits in English frequency

ortolan falls 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

ortolan is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɔː.təl.ən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for ortolan, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. 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: From Middle French hortolan (“gardener”), from Latin hortulānus (“gardener”). Doublet of hortulan. The correct English form is ortolan, spelled O-R-T-O-L-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small European migratory bunting (Emberiza hortulana), once eaten whole as a delicacy.
  2. 2
    Any of various similar birds, especially the bobolink, sora, or snow bunting.
  3. 3
    The greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla).

Etymology

From Middle French hortolan (“gardener”), from Latin hortulānus (“gardener”). Doublet of hortulan.

This word in other languages

hortelano(Español)ortolan(Français)Ortolan(Deutsch)

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 "ortolan"?
"ortolan" is spelled O-R-T-O-L-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔː.təl.ən/.
What does "ortolan" mean?
As a noun, "ortolan" means: A small European migratory bunting (Emberiza hortulana), once eaten whole as a delicacy.
How do you pronounce "ortolan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ortolan" is /ˈɔː.təl.ən/. 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 "ortolan"?
From Middle French hortolan (“gardener”), from Latin hortulānus (“gardener”). Doublet of hortulan. 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 “ortolan”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-R-T-O-L-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɔː.təl.ən/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list