ancillary

/ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹiː/

//ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹiː// adj

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

"ancillary" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ancillary” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,677. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,677
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Subordinate; secondary; auxiliary.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ancillary · ancillary · English

ancillary · rank #26,677 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,677
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH analyzer

Nearest frequency peer: analyzer (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ancillary”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ancillary” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ancillary
PropertyValue
Headwordancillary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹiː/
Letters9
Frequency rank#26,677
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ancillary”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).ancillarylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “analyzer” (#26,676), “amphibious” (#26,675), “anesthetic” (#26,679). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “ancillary” is #26,677. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around ancillary (IPA /ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹiː/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #26,677 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Subordinate; secondary; auxiliary.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for ancillary, with forms such as "acnillary", "anccillary", and "ancilalry". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin ancillāris (“ancillary; relating to maids”), from ancilla (“maid”). The correct English form is ancillary, spelled A-N-C-I-L-L-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Subordinate; secondary; auxiliary.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ancillary appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] how easily he took all things along with him,—the persons, the opinions, and the day, and nature became ancillary to a man.
  2. [E]very organ of the body, whatever function it may perform, must also perform the other four functions in an ancillary manner.

Etymology

From Latin ancillāris (“ancillary; relating to maids”), from ancilla (“maid”).

This word in other languages

secundario(Español)subordonné(Français)neben-(Deutsch)subordinado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acnillary
  • anccillary
  • ancilalry
  • ancilary
  • ancillarry
  • ancillaryy
  • ancillayr
  • ancillray
  • anclilary
  • anicllary
  • anncillary
  • nacillary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ancillary - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

acnillary2anccillary1ancilalry2ancilary1ancillarry1ancillaryy1ancillayr2ancillray2
Edit distance from "ancillary"

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 "ancillary"?
"ancillary" is spelled A-N-C-I-L-L-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹiː/.
What does "ancillary" mean?
As an adjective, "ancillary" means: Subordinate; secondary; auxiliary.
What are common misspellings of "ancillary"?
Common misspellings include "acnillary", "anccillary", "ancilalry", "ancilary", "ancillarry". The correct spelling is "ancillary".
How do you pronounce "ancillary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ancillary" is /ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹiː/. 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 "ancillary"?
From Latin ancillāris (“ancillary; relating to maids”), from ancilla (“maid”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "ancillary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

willfully#26,660voiceover#26,659boomerang#26,701trimester#26,637

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

analyzer12 variantsverbatim12 variantsCarthage12 variantscauldron12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list