bicycle

/ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/

//ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l// noun

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

"bicycle" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bicycle” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,314 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,314
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.

Key facts for bicycle
PropertyValue
Headwordbicycle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/
Letters7
Frequency rank#7,314
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bicycle” sits in English 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). bicycle lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for bicycle is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,314 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for bicycle, with forms such as "bbicycle", "bciycle", and "biccycle". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Proto-Italic *dwis Old Latin duis Latin bisder. French bi- Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κῠ́κλος (kŭ́klos)der. Late Latin cyclusder. Middle French F… The correct English form is bicycle, spelled B-I-C-Y-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.
  2. 2
    Any similar vehicle powered by human pedaling or steered with a handlebar, regardless of the number of wheels.
  3. 3
    A traveling block used on a cable in skidding logs.
  4. 4
    The best possible hand in lowball.
  5. 5
    A motorbike.
  6. 6
    A slut; a promiscuous woman.
  7. 7
    A stabilizing technique in which one foot is pushed down while the other is pulled up.
  8. 8
    The wheel: either the lowest straight (A-2-3-4-5) or the best low hand in Lowball or High-low poker.
  9. 9
    A bicyclic molecule.
  10. 10
    Two interconnected metabolic cycles.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Proto-Italic *dwis Old Latin duis Latin bisder. French bi- Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κῠ́κλος (kŭ́klos)der. Late Latin cyclusder. Middle French French cycle French bicyclebor. English bicycle Borrowed from French bicycle (modern bicyclette), from bi- (“two”) + cycle (“cycle”). By surface analysis, bi- + cycle. First attested in English in 1868, and in French in 1847. (promiscuous woman): From double meaning of ride ("to transport oneself upon" vs. "to mount someone to have sex with them"). A communal bicycle would have many riders.

Synonyms

bicyclebikeceleripedecyclevelocipede

This word in other languages

bicicleta(Español)vélo(Français)Fahrrad(Deutsch)bicicleta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbicycle,bciycle,biccycle,biccyle,bicyccle,bicycel,bicyclle,bicylce,bicyycle,biyccle,ibcycle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bicycle - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbicycle1bciycle2biccycle1biccyle2bicyccle1bicycel2bicyclle1bicylce2
Edit distance from "bicycle"

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 "bicycle"?
"bicycle" is spelled B-I-C-Y-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/.
What does "bicycle" mean?
As a noun, "bicycle" means: A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.
What are common misspellings of "bicycle"?
Common misspellings include "bbicycle", "bciycle", "biccycle", "biccyle", "bicyccle". The correct spelling is "bicycle".
How do you pronounce "bicycle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bicycle" is /ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/. 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 "bicycle"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Proto-Italic *dwis Old Latin duis Latin bisder. French bi- Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κῠ́κλος (kŭ́klos)der. Late Latin cyclusder. Middl... 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.

Using “bicycle”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-I-C-Y-C-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list