bisect

/baɪˈsɛkt/

//baɪˈsɛkt// verb

"bisect" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bisect” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cut or divide into two parts.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bisect · bisect · English

bisect · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for bisect
PropertyValue
Headwordbisect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/baɪˈsɛkt/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bisect” sits in English frequency

bisectranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bisect is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /baɪˈsɛkt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for bisect in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From bi- (“bi-, two”) + Latin secāre (“to cut”). The correct English form is bisect, spelled B-I-S-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cut or divide into two parts.
  2. 2
    To cut or divide into two parts.
  3. 3
    To cut or divide into two parts.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The quadrennial period of games and festivals in Greece was probably arrived at by bisecting an older octennial period.

Etymology

From bi- (“bi-, two”) + Latin secāre (“to cut”).

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bisect"?
"bisect" is spelled B-I-S-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /baɪˈsɛkt/.
What does "bisect" mean?
As a verb, "bisect" means: To cut or divide into two parts.
How do you pronounce "bisect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bisect" is /baɪˈsɛkt/. 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 "bisect"?
From bi- (“bi-, two”) + Latin secāre (“to cut”). 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.

What to do next

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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