paclitaxel

/ˌpak.lɪˈtak.sɛl/

//ˌpak.lɪˈtak.sɛl// noun

"paclitaxel" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“paclitaxel” is uncommon English (frequency #78,910 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,910
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A taxane antineoplastic drug C₄₇H₅₁NO₁₄ originally isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, but now typically derived as a semisynthetic product of the English yew; it interfere...

Corpus desk

Index EN-paclitaxel · paclitaxel · English

paclitaxel · rank #78,910 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #78,910
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ozuna

Nearest frequency peer: Ozuna (-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 “paclitaxel”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for paclitaxel
PropertyValue
Headwordpaclitaxel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpak.lɪˈtak.sɛl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#78,910
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “paclitaxel” 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).paclitaxelfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Ozuna” (#78,909), “Pagani” (#78,911), “ovulate” (#78,908). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “paclitaxel” is #78,910. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

paclitaxel is uncommon English at frequency #78,910 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌpak.lɪˈtak.sɛl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A taxane antineoplastic drug C₄₇H₅₁NO₁₄ originally isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, but now typically derived as a semisynthetic product of the English yew; it interfere...".

Zero misspellings are on record for paclitaxel in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Pac(ific yew) + Latin (brevifo)li(a) + -taxel (“alteration of taxol”). The correct English form is paclitaxel, spelled P-A-C-L-I-T-A-X-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A taxane antineoplastic drug C₄₇H₅₁NO₁₄ originally isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, but now typically derived as a semisynthetic product of the English yew; it interferes with microtubule function and inhibits cell division, and is used in the treatment of some cancers, especially those of the breast and ovary.

Etymology

From Pac(ific yew) + Latin (brevifo)li(a) + -taxel (“alteration of taxol”).

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 "paclitaxel"?
"paclitaxel" is spelled P-A-C-L-I-T-A-X-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpak.lɪˈtak.sɛl/.
What does "paclitaxel" mean?
As a noun, "paclitaxel" means: A taxane antineoplastic drug C₄₇H₅₁NO₁₄ originally isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, but now typically derived as a semisynthetic product of the English yew; it interfere...
How do you pronounce "paclitaxel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paclitaxel" is /ˌpak.lɪˈtak.sɛl/. 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 "paclitaxel"?
From Pac(ific yew) + Latin (brevifo)li(a) + -taxel (“alteration of taxol”). 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 "paclitaxel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list