redolent

/ˈɹɛd.ə.lənt/

//ˈɹɛd.ə.lənt// adj

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

"redolent" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“redolent” is uncommon English (frequency #67,785 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,785
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-redolent · redolent · English

redolent · rank #67,785 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #67,785
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH redid

Nearest frequency peer: redid (-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 “redolent”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for redolent
PropertyValue
Headwordredolent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹɛd.ə.lənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#67,785
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “redolent” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).redolentfalls 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: “redid” (#67,784), “redden” (#67,783), “refectory” (#67,787). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “redolent” is #67,785. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

redolent is uncommon English at frequency #67,785 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɹɛd.ə.lənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for redolent in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English redolent (first attested in 1400), from Old French redolent, from Latin redolentem, present participle of redoleō (“I emit a scent”), from red- + oleō (“I smell”). The correct English form is redolent, spelled R-E-D-O-L-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.
  2. 2
    Having the smell of the article in question.
  3. 3
    Suggestive or reminiscent.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Most of the articles were home-made; the bread, the yellow butter, as golden as the cups to which it has given name; the thickest cream, and a honeycomb redolent of the thyme which even then echoed with the hum of the bees.
  2. His breath is already redolent of whiskey.

Etymology

From Middle English redolent (first attested in 1400), from Old French redolent, from Latin redolentem, present participle of redoleō (“I emit a scent”), from red- + oleō (“I smell”).

This word in other languages

aromático(Español)parfumé(Français)erinnernd(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 "redolent"?
"redolent" is spelled R-E-D-O-L-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛd.ə.lənt/.
What does "redolent" mean?
As an adjective, "redolent" means: Fragrant or aromatic; having a sweet scent.
How do you pronounce "redolent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "redolent" is /ˈɹɛd.ə.lənt/. 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 "redolent"?
From Middle English redolent (first attested in 1400), from Old French redolent, from Latin redolentem, present participle of redoleō (“I emit a scent”), from red- + oleō (“I smell”). 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 "redolent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ringworm#67,796Rogerson#67,799scornful#67,814secretes#67,817

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list