# pastel

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpæstl̩/ · frequency rank #21,019

## Definitions
1. Any of several subdued tints of colors, usually associated with pink, peach, yellow, green, blue, and lavender.
2. A drawing made with any of those colors.
3. A type of dried paste used to make crayons.
4. A crayon made from such a paste.
5. Woad.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French pastel, from Italian pastello (“pastel”), from Medieval Latin pastellum (“dough, paste”), from Latin pasta (“dough, paste”), ultimately from Ancient Greek πάστη (pástē, “dough, paste”). Doublet of pastegh, pastiglia, pastila, pastilla, and pastille.

## Easily confused with
- **pate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pate)
- **Patel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-patel)
- **Pavel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pavel)
- **pasty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pasty)
- **pasts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pasts)
- **Patil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-patil)
- **posted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-posted)
- **poster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-poster)
- **pastor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pastor)
- **postal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-postal)
- **pistol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pistol)
- **pastry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pastry)
- **patten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-patten)
- **patted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-patted)
- **patter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-patter)
- **pester** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pester)
- **plaster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-plaster)
- **Pasteur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pastel-vs-pasteur)
- **past** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/past-vs-pastel)
- **panel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/panel-vs-pastel)

## Common misspellings (9)
`apstel`, `pasetl`, `passtel`, `pastell`, `pastle`, `pasttel`, `patsel`, `ppastel`, `psatel`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pastel