sebum

/ˈsibm̩/

//ˈsibm̩// noun

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

"sebum" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sebum” is uncommon English (frequency #79,954 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,954
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A thick oily substance, secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin, that consists of fat, keratin and cellular debris.

Key facts for sebum
PropertyValue
Headwordsebum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsibm̩/
Letters5
Frequency rank#79,954
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sebum” 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). sebum 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

sebum is uncommon English at frequency #79,954 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsibm̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A thick oily substance, secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin, that consists of fat, keratin and cellular debris.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sebum, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin sēbum (“tallow, grease; suet”). The correct English form is sebum, spelled S-E-B-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thick oily substance, secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin, that consists of fat, keratin and cellular debris.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sēbum (“tallow, grease; suet”).

This word in other languages

sebo(Español)sébum(Français)Talg(Deutsch)sebo(Português)

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 "sebum"?
"sebum" is spelled S-E-B-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsibm̩/.
What does "sebum" mean?
As a noun, "sebum" means: A thick oily substance, secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin, that consists of fat, keratin and cellular debris.
How do you pronounce "sebum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sebum" is /ˈsibm̩/. 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 "sebum"?
Learned borrowing from Latin sēbum (“tallow, grease; suet”). 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 “sebum”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-B-U-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsibm̩/ (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