Skip to main content
PlainSpell

saffron

/ˈsæfɹən/noun, adjective, verb

saffron is spelled S-A-F-F-R-O-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Saffron, the name). As a noun, saffron means “A plant of species Crocus sativus, a crocus” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of saffron is saffrons.

How many letters and syllables are in saffron?

Letters7: S-A-F-F-R-O-N
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.6 times per million words; the 22,073rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is saffron?

Saffron appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,073rd most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Saffron, the name.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce saffron?

  • UK /ˈsæfɹən/
  • UK /ˈsæfɹɒn/
  • US /ˈsæfɹən/

Saffron has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-saffron.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of saffron

  • saffrons plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • saffroning participle, present
  • saffroned participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does saffron mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A plant of species Crocus sativus, a crocus.

  2. 2

    A spice (seasoning) and colouring agent made from the stigma and part of the style of the plant, sometimes or formerly also used as a dye and insect repellent.

  3. 3

    An orange-yellow colour, the colour of a lion's pelt.

adjective

  1. 1

    Having an orange-yellow colour.

    For ioyfull thoughts, vse funerall deedes

  2. 2

    Associated with Hinduism, Hindus or Hindu nationalism.

verb

  1. 1

    To add saffron to (a food), for taste, colour etc.

    saffroned water, saffroned rice

  2. 2

    To give a saffron colour to (something).

  3. 3

    To dye (a fabric, garment, etc.) with a saffron-based dye.

  4. 4

    To colour (a metal or wooden surface) with a gilding product containing saffron.

    Or warts, or wheales, it hangs upon her skinne.

  5. 5

    To embellish.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Saffron in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchsafran (plant)
GermanSafran (plant), Safranfarbe, Safrangelb (colour), safrangelb, safranfarbig (having an orange-yellow colour)
Portugueseaçafrão (plant), açafroado (having an orange-yellow colour)
Spanishazafrán (plant), de azafrán (having an orange-yellow colour), azafranar (to add saffron to)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does saffron come from?

Inherited from Middle English saffron, borrowed from Old French safran, borrowed from Medieval Latin safranum, borrowed from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān), from Aramaic צפר.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after saffron