solar eclipse

/ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps/

//ˈsoʊlɚ ɪˈklɪps// noun

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

"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 May 6, 2026) - A phenomenon occurring when the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun.

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

Where “solar eclipse” sits in English frequency

solar eclipse falls 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.

Etymology

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

This word in other languages

eclipse solar(Español)éclipse solaire(Français)Sonnenfinsternis(Deutsch)eclipse solar(Português)

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.

Using “solar eclipse”

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

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