solar eclipse

/ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps/

//ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps// noun

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

The verdict

“solar eclipse” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A phenomenon occurring when the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun.

Corpus desk

Index EN-solar-eclipse · solar eclipse · English

solar eclipse · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for solar eclipse
PropertyValue
Headwordsolar eclipse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps/
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “solar eclipse” in English

solar eclipsefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

solar eclipse is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A phenomenon occurring when the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for solar eclipse, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From solar + eclipse. First use appears c. 1602 in the writings of Thomas Blundeville. The correct English form is solar eclipse, spelled S-O-L-A-R- -E-C-L-I-P-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A phenomenon occurring when the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A solar eclipse is one of nature's most impressive sights.
  2. The earliest reliable accounts of Chinese eclipses come from Spring and Autumn Annals (Ch’un-ch’iu), recording eclipses from 772 to 481 BCE, including a total solar eclipse in 709 BCE.

Etymology

From solar + eclipse. First use appears c. 1602 in the writings of Thomas Blundeville.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "solar eclipse"?
"solar eclipse" is spelled S-O-L-A-R- -E-C-L-I-P-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps/.
What does "solar eclipse" mean?
As a noun, "solar eclipse" means: A phenomenon occurring when the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun.
How do you pronounce "solar eclipse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "solar eclipse" is /ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps/. 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 "solar eclipse"?
From solar + eclipse. First use appears c. 1602 in the writings of Thomas Blundeville. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list