sarsaparilla

/ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/

//ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə// noun

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

"sarsaparilla" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sarsaparilla” is uncommon English (frequency #83,711 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,711
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of various tropical (Central and South) American vines of the genus Smilax, such as Smilax aspera, which have fragrant roots.

Key facts for sarsaparilla
PropertyValue
Headwordsarsaparilla
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/
Letters12
Frequency rank#83,711
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sarsaparilla” 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). sarsaparilla lands here:

#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

sarsaparilla is uncommon English at frequency #83,711 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sarsaparilla, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish zarzaparrilla. The first element may ultimately derive from Basque; see Spanish zarza (“blackberry bush”) for more. The usual pronunciation of the first part of the word as /sæsp-/ or /sɑːsp-/ may be due to dissimilatory loss of the first of tw… The correct English form is sarsaparilla, spelled S-A-R-S-A-P-A-R-I-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various tropical (Central and South) American vines of the genus Smilax, such as Smilax aspera, which have fragrant roots.
  2. 2
    Dried roots of these plants, or a flavoring material extracted from these roots.
  3. 3
    A beverage (soft drink) flavored with this root, such as root beer.
  4. 4
    Any of several North American plants, of the genus Aralia, having umbels and small white flowers.
  5. 5
    An American vine of species Nephroia diversifolia.

Etymology

From Spanish zarzaparrilla. The first element may ultimately derive from Basque; see Spanish zarza (“blackberry bush”) for more. The usual pronunciation of the first part of the word as /sæsp-/ or /sɑːsp-/ may be due to dissimilatory loss of the first of two r sounds (compare governor /ˈɡʌvənɚ/ and February /ˈfɛb.juˌɛɹi/). Occasionally this word is pronounced with a schwa between the s and the p, or without a schwa between the p and the r.

This word in other languages

zarzaparrilla(Español)salsepareille(Français)Sarsaparilla(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 "sarsaparilla"?
"sarsaparilla" is spelled S-A-R-S-A-P-A-R-I-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/.
What does "sarsaparilla" mean?
As a noun, "sarsaparilla" means: Any of various tropical (Central and South) American vines of the genus Smilax, such as Smilax aspera, which have fragrant roots.
How do you pronounce "sarsaparilla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sarsaparilla" is /ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/. 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 "sarsaparilla"?
From Spanish zarzaparrilla. The first element may ultimately derive from Basque; see Spanish zarza (“blackberry bush”) for more. The usual pronunciation of the first part of the word as /sæsp-/ or /sɑːsp-/ may be due to dissimilatory loss of the f... 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 “sarsaparilla”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-A-R-S-A-P-A-R-I-L-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list