premenstrual

/ˌpɹiːˈmɛnstɹʊəl/

//ˌpɹiːˈmɛnstɹʊəl// adj

"premenstrual" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“premenstrual” is uncommon English (frequency #87,702 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,702
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Occurring in the time period during the menstrual cycle leading up to the beginning of menstruation.

Key facts for premenstrual
PropertyValue
Headwordpremenstrual
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌpɹiːˈmɛnstɹʊəl/
Letters12
Frequency rank#87,702
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “premenstrual” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). premenstrual lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

premenstrual is uncommon English at frequency #87,702 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌpɹiːˈmɛnstɹʊəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

premenstrual doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pre- + menstrual. The correct English form is premenstrual, spelled P-R-E-M-E-N-S-T-R-U-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Occurring in the time period during the menstrual cycle leading up to the beginning of menstruation.
  2. 2
    Relating to the time period in a girl's life prior to her first experience of menstruation; prepubescent.

Etymology

From pre- + menstrual.

This word in other languages

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 "premenstrual"?
"premenstrual" is spelled P-R-E-M-E-N-S-T-R-U-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɹiːˈmɛnstɹʊəl/.
What does "premenstrual" mean?
As an adjective, "premenstrual" means: Occurring in the time period during the menstrual cycle leading up to the beginning of menstruation.
How do you pronounce "premenstrual"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "premenstrual" is /ˌpɹiːˈmɛnstɹʊəl/. 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 "premenstrual"?
From pre- + menstrual. 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.

Using “premenstrual”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-M-E-N-S-T-R-U-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌpɹiːˈmɛnstɹʊəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list