pimpernel

/ˈpɪmpənɛl/

//ˈpɪmpənɛl// noun

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

"pimpernel" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pimpernel” is uncommon English (frequency #75,300 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,300
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A plant of the genus Pimpinella, especially burnet saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga).

Corpus desk

Index EN-pimpernel · pimpernel · English

pimpernel · rank #75,300 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,300
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pimento

Nearest frequency peer: pimento (-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 “pimpernel”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pimpernel
PropertyValue
Headwordpimpernel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪmpənɛl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#75,300
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pimpernel” 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).pimpernelfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “pimento” (#75,299), “pitiable” (#75,301), “Pillay” (#75,298). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pimpernel” is #75,300. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pimpernel is uncommon English at frequency #75,300 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɪmpənɛl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

pimpernel has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman pimpernele et al., Middle French pimpinelle (“burnet saxifrage”) et al., from Medieval Latin pimpinella, pipinella, most likely from piper (“pepper”) because its fruit resembled peppercorns, although variants may suggest other derivations,… The correct English form is pimpernel, spelled P-I-M-P-E-R-N-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A plant of the genus Pimpinella, especially burnet saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga).
  2. 2
    Any of various plants of the genus Anagallis, having small red, white or purple flowers, especially the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).
  3. 3
    Sanguisorba spp.
  4. 4
    Sanguisorba spp.
  5. 5
    A yellow pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima)
  6. 6
    Someone resembling the fictional Scarlet Pimpernel; a gallant dashing resourceful man given to remarkable feats of bravery and derring-do in liberating victims of tyranny and injustice.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Common Pimpernel has diverse weak square stalks lying on the ground, beset all along with two small and almost round leaves at every joint [...].
  2. Pimpernel (poor man's weather glass) was also a protection, but as the gatherer collected the herbs, he must chant a certain incantation and continue to do so twice a day for 15 days[.]

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman pimpernele et al., Middle French pimpinelle (“burnet saxifrage”) et al., from Medieval Latin pimpinella, pipinella, most likely from piper (“pepper”) because its fruit resembled peppercorns, although variants may suggest other derivations, bipinnella the bipennis (“two-winged”).

This word in other languages

murajes(Español)mouron(Français)Gauchheil(Deutsch)morrião(Português)

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 "pimpernel"?
"pimpernel" is spelled P-I-M-P-E-R-N-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪmpənɛl/.
What does "pimpernel" mean?
As a noun, "pimpernel" means: A plant of the genus Pimpinella, especially burnet saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga).
How do you pronounce "pimpernel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pimpernel" is /ˈpɪmpənɛl/. 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 "pimpernel"?
From Anglo-Norman pimpernele et al., Middle French pimpinelle (“burnet saxifrage”) et al., from Medieval Latin pimpinella, pipinella, most likely from piper (“pepper”) because its fruit resembled peppercorns, although variants may suggest other de... 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 "pimpernel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

quickstep#75,329overworld#75,260occlusive#75,254rehydrate#75,350

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list