phrasal

/ˈfɹeɪzəl/

//ˈfɹeɪzəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“phrasal” is uncommon English (frequency #91,918 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,918
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Relating to, or used in the manner of, a phrase.

Corpus desk

Index EN-phrasal · phrasal · English

phrasal · rank #91,918 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #91,918
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pidge

Nearest frequency peer: pidge (+3 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 “phrasal”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for phrasal
PropertyValue
Headwordphrasal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɹeɪzəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#91,918
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “phrasal” 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).phrasalfalls 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: “pidge” (#91,921), “perdu” (#91,914), “plastique” (#91,924). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “phrasal” is #91,918. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

phrasal is uncommon English at frequency #91,918 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈfɹeɪzəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

phrasal doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From phrase + -al. The correct English form is phrasal, spelled P-H-R-A-S-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relating to, or used in the manner of, a phrase.
  2. 2
    Consisting of multiple words, but behaving as a single part of speech.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how phrasal appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. phrasal preposition

Etymology

From phrase + -al.

This word in other languages

Ausdrucks-(Deutsch)

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 "phrasal"?
"phrasal" is spelled P-H-R-A-S-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹeɪzəl/.
What does "phrasal" mean?
As an adjective, "phrasal" means: Relating to, or used in the manner of, a phrase.
How do you pronounce "phrasal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "phrasal" is /ˈfɹeɪzəl/. 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 "phrasal"?
From phrase + -al. 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 "phrasal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

primula#91,937nullity#91,872racemic#91,965Norvell#91,867

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list