sago

Name: sago, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈseɪɡəʊ/

//ˈseɪɡəʊ// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“sago” is uncommon English (frequency #67,807 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,807
frequency rank, English: 54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A powdered starch obtained from certain palms (Metroxylon spp., esp. Metroxylon sagu), used as a flour and food thickener and for sizing textiles.

Key facts for sago
Property	Value
Headword	sago
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈseɪɡəʊ/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#67,807
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sago” 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). sago lands here:

#67,807

#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

sago is uncommon English at frequency #67,807 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈseɪɡəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for sago in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Malay sagu, via Portuguese sagu or Dutch sago. The correct English form is sago, spelled S-A-G-O.

Definition

1
A powdered starch obtained from certain palms (Metroxylon spp., esp. Metroxylon sagu), used as a flour and food thickener and for sizing textiles.
2
A similar starch obtained from palm-like cycad, especially Cycas revoluta.
3
Any of the palms and cycads from which sago starch is extracted.

Etymology

From Malay sagu, via Portuguese sagu or Dutch sago.

This word in other languages

sagú(Español)sagou(Français)Sago(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 "sago"?

"sago" is spelled S-A-G-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈseɪɡəʊ/.

What does "sago" mean?

As a noun, "sago" means: A powdered starch obtained from certain palms (Metroxylon spp., esp. Metroxylon sagu), used as a flour and food thickener and for sizing textiles.

How do you pronounce "sago"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sago" is /ˈseɪɡəʊ/. 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 "sago"?

From Malay sagu, via Portuguese sagu or Dutch sago. 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 “sago”

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

The one correct English spelling is S-A-G-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈseɪɡəʊ/ (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.