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 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,711
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various tropical (Central and South) American vines of the genus Smilax, such as Smilax aspera, which have fragrant roots.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sarsaparilla · sarsaparilla · English

sarsaparilla · rank #83,711 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #83,711
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sarcophagi

Nearest frequency peer: sarcophagi (-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 “sarsaparilla”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sarsaparilla
PropertyValue
Headwordsarsaparilla
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/
Letters12
Frequency rank#83,711
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sarsaparilla” 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).sarsaparillafalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “sarcophagi” (#83,710), “sandlot” (#83,708), “satori” (#83,714). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sarsaparilla” is #83,711. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sarsaparilla is uncommon English at frequency #83,711 among 6,566 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “[…]If Cassidy goes around shooting their fingers off, how are they going to lift their sarsaparilla?” “Rustlers don't drink sarsaparilla,” came the reply, ending the conversation and throwing me back inside my twenty-yard line.
  2. Many root teas taste delightful and the old American drink, sarsaparilla, was made on the lines of a decoction, while its pleasant taste was known by most of Victorian Britain.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "sarsaparilla", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Schiaparelli#83,717Thessalonica#83,814overcapacity#83,589overachiever#83,587

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list