WordPrevalence

Word familiarity list

Rare words

Words many readers may not recognize.

Words in list36
Known range25.6%-43.5%
Average known37.7%
Dominant labelVery rare
susurrationVery rare
Known by
25.6%

the indistinct sound of people whispering

coruscationVery rare
Known by
27.9%

the occurrence of a small flash or spark

glaryVery rare
Known by
28.4%

shining intensely

crapulousVery rare
Known by
31.5%

suffering from excessive eating or drinking

chrismVery rare
Known by
32.7%

a consecrated ointment consisting of a mixture of oil and balsam

apperceptionVery rare
Known by
33.4%

the process whereby perceived qualities of an object are related to past experience

prolixityVery rare
Known by
33.9%

boring verbosity

caliginousVery rare
Known by
34.5%

dark and misty and gloomy

ineluctableVery rare
Known by
35%

impossible to avoid or evade

plosiveVery rare
Known by
35.1%

a consonant produced by stopping the flow of air at some point and suddenly releasing it

legerdemainVery rare
Known by
35.3%

an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers

enologyVery rare
Known by
36.2%

the art of wine making

botherationVery rare
Known by
36.4%

the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

fauvismVery rare
Known by
36.8%

an art movement launched in 1905 whose work was characterized by bright and nonnatural colors and simple forms; influenced the expressionists

misfeasanceVery rare
Known by
36.9%

doing a proper act in a wrongful or injurious manner

osseousVery rare
Known by
37.6%

composed of or containing bone

refectionVery rare
Known by
37.9%

a light meal or repast

saponificationVery rare
Known by
38.1%

a chemical reaction in which an ester is heated with an alkali (especially the alkaline hydrolysis of a fat or oil to make soap)

nousVery rare
Known by
38.7%

common sense

pulchritudinousVery rare
Known by
39.6%

used of persons only; having great physical beauty

peccaryVery rare
Known by
39.7%

nocturnal gregarious pig-like wild animals of North America and South America

inchoateVery rare
Known by
40.1%

only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

mentationVery rare
Known by
40.1%

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

propinquityVery rare
Known by
40.4%

the property of being close together

ologyVery rare
Known by
40.8%

an informal word (abstracted from words with this ending) for some unidentified branch of knowledge

flocculationVery rare
Known by
41%

the process of flocculating; forming woolly cloudlike aggregations

futurityVery rare
Known by
41%

the time yet to come

tortiousVery rare
Known by
41.8%

of or pertaining to the nature of a tort

vituperationVery rare
Known by
42.1%

abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will

obscurantismVery rare
Known by
42.2%

a policy of opposition to enlightenment or the spread of knowledge

tutelaryVery rare
Known by
42.2%

providing protective supervision; watching over or safeguarding

penologyVery rare
Known by
42.7%

the branch of criminology concerned with prison management and prisoner rehabilitation

proprioceptiveVery rare
Known by
43%

of or relating to proprioception

parlousVery rare
Known by
43.2%

fraught with danger

seminiferousVery rare
Known by
43.4%

bearing or producing seed or semen

plenipotentiaryVery rare
Known by
43.5%

a diplomat who is fully authorized to represent his or her government