Paracelsus

/ˌpæɹəˈsɛlsəs/

//ˌpæɹəˈsɛlsəs// name

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

The verdict

“Paracelsus” is uncommon English (frequency #75,270 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,270
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The adopted name of Philippus von Hohenheim, a Swiss thinker of the 16th century known for his pioneering scientific work and his research into the occult and alchemy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-paracelsus · Paracelsus · English

Paracelsus · rank #75,270 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,270
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pappa

Nearest frequency peer: pappa (-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 “Paracelsus”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Paracelsus
PropertyValue
HeadwordParacelsus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˌpæɹəˈsɛlsəs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#75,270
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Paracelsus” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Paracelsusfalls 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: “pappa” (#75,269), “palfrey” (#75,265), “Pahlavi” (#75,263). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “Paracelsus” is #75,270. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Paracelsus is uncommon English at frequency #75,270 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˌpæɹəˈsɛlsəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The adopted name of Philippus von Hohenheim, a Swiss thinker of the 16th century known for his pioneering scientific work and his research into the occult and alchemy.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Paracelsus, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined before 1529, possibly before 1524. The name was likely a latinization based on celsus (“high, tall”) as a calque of German Hohenheim. However, it was interpreted as the claim of "surpassing (παρά) Celsus" from an early time. The correct English form is Paracelsus, spelled P-A-R-A-C-E-L-S-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The adopted name of Philippus von Hohenheim, a Swiss thinker of the 16th century known for his pioneering scientific work and his research into the occult and alchemy.

Etymology

Coined before 1529, possibly before 1524. The name was likely a latinization based on celsus (“high, tall”) as a calque of German Hohenheim. However, it was interpreted as the claim of "surpassing (παρά) Celsus" from an early time.

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 "Paracelsus"?
"Paracelsus" is spelled P-A-R-A-C-E-L-S-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpæɹəˈsɛlsəs/.
What does "Paracelsus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Paracelsus" means: The adopted name of Philippus von Hohenheim, a Swiss thinker of the 16th century known for his pioneering scientific work and his research into the occult and alchemy.
How do you pronounce "Paracelsus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Paracelsus" is /ˌpæɹəˈsɛlsəs/. 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 "Paracelsus"?
Coined before 1529, possibly before 1524. The name was likely a latinization based on celsus (“high, tall”) as a calque of German Hohenheim. However, it was interpreted as the claim of "surpassing (παρά) Celsus" from an early time. 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 "Paracelsus", 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