vestigial

Name: vestigial, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/

//vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl// adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“vestigial” is an uncommon English word, ranked #55,180 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#55,180
frequency rank, English: 9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past.

Key facts for vestigial
Property	Value
Headword	vestigial
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#55,180
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vestigial” 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). vestigial lands here:

#55,180

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for vestigial is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #55,180 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

vestigial doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin vestīgium + -al. By surface analysis, vestige + -ial. The correct English form is vestigial, spelled V-E-S-T-I-G-I-A-L.

Definition

1
Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past.
2
Not fully developed in mature animals.
3
Of a vestigial structure; that has lost all or most of its original function in the course of evolution.

Etymology

From Latin vestīgium + -al. By surface analysis, vestige + -ial.

This word in other languages

vestigial(Français)rudimentär(Deutsch)

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 "vestigial"?

"vestigial" is spelled V-E-S-T-I-G-I-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/.

What does "vestigial" mean?

As an adjective, "vestigial" means: Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past.

How do you pronounce "vestigial"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vestigial" is /vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/. 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 "vestigial"?

From Latin vestīgium + -al. By surface analysis, vestige + -ial. 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 “vestigial”

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

The one correct English spelling is V-E-S-T-I-G-I-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/ (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.