rara avis
/ˌɹɑːɹə ˈeɪvɪs/
"rara-avis" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“rara avis” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A rare species or type of bird.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | rara avis |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌɹɑːɹə ˈeɪvɪs/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “rara avis” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for rara avis is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɹɑːɹə ˈeɪvɪs/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for rara avis in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from Latin rāra avis (“rare bird”). The synonym rare bird is attested earlier. The term is a quotation from Satire VI (written late 1st century – early 2nd century C.E.) of the Roman poet Juvenal: “Rara avis in terris, nigroque simillima… The correct English form is rara avis, spelled R-A-R-A- -A-V-I-S.
Definition
- 1A rare species or type of bird.
- 2A rare or unique, and thus outstanding or unusual, person or thing; a rare bird.
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Latin rāra avis (“rare bird”). The synonym rare bird is attested earlier. The term is a quotation from Satire VI (written late 1st century – early 2nd century C.E.) of the Roman poet Juvenal: “Rara avis in terris, nigroque simillima cygno [a bird as rare upon the earth as a black swan]!”. The plural form rarae aves is a learned borrowing from Latin rārae avēs.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “rara avis”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-A-R-A- -A-V-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌɹɑːɹə ˈeɪvɪs/ (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
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.