# pretzel

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹɛt.səl/ · frequency rank #29,795

## Definitions
1. A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.
2. Anything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.

## Etymology
From dialectal German Pretzel, a variant of standard Brezel, from Old High German brēzitella, from Vulgar Latin *brāchiātellus, diminutive of Latin brāchium, bracchium (“arm”); named for the appearance of folded arms.

## Easily confused with
- **prequel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prequel-vs-pretzel)

## Common misspellings (11)
`pertzel`, `ppretzel`, `pretezl`, `prettzel`, `pretzell`, `pretzle`, `pretzzel`, `preztel`, `prretzel`, `prtezel`, `rpetzel`

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