tarragon
/ˈtæɹəɡɑn/
"tarragon" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“tarragon” is uncommon English (frequency #54,524 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #54,524
- frequency rank, English
- 27,828
- “T” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A perennial herb, the wormwood species Artemisia dracunculus, from Europe and parts of Asia.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | tarragon |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtæɹəɡɑn/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #54,524 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “tarragon” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
tarragon is uncommon English at frequency #54,524 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtæɹəɡɑn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for tarragon, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French targon (cf. modern estragon), from Medieval Latin tragonia, from Arabic طَرْخُون (ṭarḵūn), ultimately from Ancient Greek δρακόντιον (drakóntion, “dragonwort, Dracunculus vulgaris”), from δράκων (drákōn, “dragon, serpent”). Double… The correct English form is tarragon, spelled T-A-R-R-A-G-O-N.
Definition
- 1A perennial herb, the wormwood species Artemisia dracunculus, from Europe and parts of Asia.
- 2The leaves of this plant (either fresh, or preserved in a vinegar/oil mixture) used as a seasoning.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French targon (cf. modern estragon), from Medieval Latin tragonia, from Arabic طَرْخُون (ṭarḵūn), ultimately from Ancient Greek δρακόντιον (drakóntion, “dragonwort, Dracunculus vulgaris”), from δράκων (drákōn, “dragon, serpent”). Doublet of estragon.
Synonyms
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
How do you spell "tarragon"?
What does "tarragon" mean?
How do you pronounce "tarragon"?
What is the origin of the word "tarragon"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “tarragon”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-A-R-R-A-G-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtæɹəɡɑn/ (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.