talc
/tælk/
"talc" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“talc” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,034 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #52,034
- frequency rank, English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern t...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | talc |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /tælk/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #52,034 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “talc” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for talc is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tælk/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,034 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
talc has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French talc, from Arabic طَلْق (ṭalq), from Persian تلک (talk), from Middle Persian [Term?] (“medicament”). The correct English form is talc, spelled T-A-L-C.
Definition
- 1Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Medieval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.
- 2A microscope slide made of a plate of mica, generally in use from the start of modern microscopy until the early nineteenth century, after which glass slides became the standard medium.
- 3A soft mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate, that has a soapy feel and a greenish, whitish, or grayish color, and usually occurs in foliated masses.
- 4Talcum powder.
Etymology
From Middle French talc, from Arabic طَلْق (ṭalq), from Persian تلک (talk), from Middle Persian [Term?] (“medicament”).
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); 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
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Using “talc”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-A-L-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /tælk/ (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.