tassel

\ˈtæsəl\

/\ˈtæsəl\/ noun

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

The verdict

“tassel” is uncommon French (frequency #80,702 among 164,488 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,702
frequency rank, French
164,488
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Gland.

Key facts for tassel
PropertyValue
Headwordtassel
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈtæsəl\
Letters6
Frequency rank#80,702
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tassel” sits in French 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). tassel lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

tassel is uncommon French at frequency #80,702 among 164,488 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈtæsəl\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

tassel doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct French form is tassel, spelled T-A-S-S-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gland.
  2. 2
    Panicule du maïs.
  3. 3
    Frange.
  4. 4
    Marque-page, ruban inséré dans le dos d’un livre pour marquer une page.
  5. 5
    Tasseau.
  6. 6
    Houppe.

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tassel"?
"tassel" is spelled T-A-S-S-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈtæsəl\.
What does "tassel" mean?
As a noun, "tassel" means: Gland.
How do you pronounce "tassel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tassel" is \ˈtæsəl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tassel" come from?
"tassel" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “tassel”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is T-A-S-S-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈtæsəl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list