Pronunciation: [hˈɜːbə͡l] (IPA) 
The word "herbal" is spelled with an "h" at the beginning followed by the letters "e", "r", "b", and "a", and then an "l" at the end. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is pronounced as /ˈhɜːbəl/. This means that the "h" is pronounced as in "hot", the "e" as in "her", the "r" as in "run", the "b" as in "bed", and the "a" as in "cat". The last "l" is silent, as in many English words.
Herbal is an adjective that refers to something related to or derived from plants, particularly those that are used for medicinal or therapeutic purposes. It pertains to herbs, which are plants valued for their flavor, fragrance, therapeutic properties, or other qualities.
In the context of medicine and healthcare, herbal typically denotes the use of plants or plant-based substances to promote healing, alleviate symptoms, or prevent diseases. Herbal remedies or herbal medicine are often considered as natural alternatives to conventional pharmaceutical drugs. These remedies can encompass various forms such as teas, tinctures, extracts, capsules, or topical products, all derived from plants like leaves, flowers, roots, or bark.
Additionally, herbal refers to the study or practice of using herbs for medicinal purposes, known as herbalism or herbal medicine. This practice has been employed by various cultures throughout history and continues to be utilized in traditional medicines around the world.
Outside of healthcare, herbal may also describe products or practices that incorporate herbs, such as herbal cosmetics, herbal teas, or herbal cooking. It conveys the idea of utilizing plants for their inherent properties, whether for taste, fragrance, or potential health benefits.
Overall, the term herbal relates to the use, study, or incorporation of plants and plant-based substances for their medicinal, therapeutic, or other beneficial qualities.
• A book which contains a classification and description of plants; a collection of specimens of plants dried and preserved.
• Pert. to herbs.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "herbal" originated from the Middle English word "herbele" or "erbele", which came from the Old French word "herbale" or "erbele". These Old French terms were derived from the Late Latin word "herbālis", meaning "of or belonging to herbs". Ultimately, "herbālis" derived from the Latin word "herba", which means "grass" or "herb".
