applicant

/ˈæp.lə.kɪnt/

//ˈæp.lə.kɪnt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“applicant” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,180. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,180
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who applies for something; one who makes a request; a petitioner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-applicant · applicant · English

applicant · rank #12,180 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,180
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH approximate

Nearest frequency peer: approximate (+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 “applicant”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “applicant” 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 applicant
PropertyValue
Headwordapplicant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæp.lə.kɪnt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,180
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “applicant”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).applicantlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “approximate” (#12,181), “amazingly” (#12,178), “assemble” (#12,182). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “applicant” is #12,180. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around applicant (IPA /ˈæp.lə.kɪnt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,180 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for applicant, with forms such as "aplicant", "aplpicant", and "appilcant". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin applicans, present participle of applicare. See apply. The correct English form is applicant, spelled A-P-P-L-I-C-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who applies for something; one who makes a request; a petitioner.
  2. 2
    One who applies for something; one who makes a request; a petitioner.
  3. 3
    The third coordinate (or z-coordinate) in a three-dimensional coordinate system.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Our job advertisement attracted seven applicants.

Etymology

From Latin applicans, present participle of applicare. See apply.

This word in other languages

candidato(Español)demandeur(Français)Bewerber(Deutsch)requerente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aplicant
  • aplpicant
  • appilcant
  • applciant
  • appliacnt
  • applicannt
  • applicantt
  • applicatn
  • appliccant
  • applicnat
  • appllicant
  • paplicant

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of applicant - 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.

aplicant1aplpicant2appilcant2applciant2appliacnt2applicannt1applicantt1applicatn2
Edit distance from "applicant"

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 "applicant"?
"applicant" is spelled A-P-P-L-I-C-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæp.lə.kɪnt/.
What does "applicant" mean?
As a noun, "applicant" means: One who applies for something; one who makes a request; a petitioner.
What are common misspellings of "applicant"?
Common misspellings include "aplicant", "aplpicant", "appilcant", "applciant", "appliacnt". The correct spelling is "applicant".
How do you pronounce "applicant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "applicant" is /ˈæp.lə.kɪnt/. 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 "applicant"?
From Latin applicans, present participle of applicare. See apply. 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 "applicant", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

amazingly#12,178withstand#12,170underwent#12,162undermine#12,161

Similar misspelling depth

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

woodland12 variantscatering12 variantscheckout12 variantsTrinidad12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list