centipede

/ˈsɛn.tɪ.pid/

//ˈsɛn.tɪ.pid// noun

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

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

The verdict

“centipede” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,375. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,375
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any arthropod of class Chilopoda, which have a segmented body with one pair of legs per segment and from about 20 to 300 legs in total.

Corpus desk

Index EN-centipede · centipede · English

centipede · rank #37,375 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,375
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 43,570
  • PHOTO-FINISH centaur

Nearest frequency peer: centaur (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “centipede”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “centipede” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for centipede
PropertyValue
Headwordcentipede
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɛn.tɪ.pid/
Letters9
Frequency rank#37,375
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “centipede” 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). centipede lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around centipede (IPA /ˈsɛn.tɪ.pid/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #37,375 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for centipede, with forms such as "ccentipede", "cenitpede", and "cenntipede". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French centipède, from Latin centipeda, centipēs, from centi- (“hundred”) + pēs (“foot”); equivalent to centi- + -pede. The correct English form is centipede, spelled C-E-N-T-I-P-E-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any arthropod of class Chilopoda, which have a segmented body with one pair of legs per segment and from about 20 to 300 legs in total.
  2. 2
    A many-oared Chinese smuggling boat.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Centipedes differ from millipedes by having a single pair of legs on each body segment.
  2. The existence of millipedes, centipedes, insects, and spiders along-side the first tetrapods sustained a robust ecosystem in which most animals were predators or scavengers.

Etymology

From French centipède, from Latin centipeda, centipēs, from centi- (“hundred”) + pēs (“foot”); equivalent to centi- + -pede.

Synonyms

chilopodhundred-legs

This word in other languages

ciempiés(Español)scolopendre(Français)Tausendfüßler(Deutsch)centopeia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccentipede
  • cenitpede
  • cenntipede
  • centiepde
  • centipdee
  • centipedde
  • centipeed
  • centippede
  • centpiede
  • centtipede
  • cetnipede
  • cnetipede
  • ecntipede

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccentipede1cenitpede2cenntipede1centiepde2centipdee2centipedde1centipeed2centippede1
Edit distance from "centipede"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "centipede"?
"centipede" is spelled C-E-N-T-I-P-E-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛn.tɪ.pid/.
What does "centipede" mean?
As a noun, "centipede" means: Any arthropod of class Chilopoda, which have a segmented body with one pair of legs per segment and from about 20 to 300 legs in total.
What are common misspellings of "centipede"?
Common misspellings include "ccentipede", "cenitpede", "cenntipede", "centiepde", "centipdee". The correct spelling is "centipede".
How do you pronounce "centipede"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "centipede" is /ˈsɛn.tɪ.pid/. 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 "centipede"?
From French centipède, from Latin centipeda, centipēs, from centi- (“hundred”) + pēs (“foot”); equivalent to centi- + -pede. 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 "centipede", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

chromatin#37,380cataracts#37,369Cartagena#37,368calibrate#37,362

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Confucian13 variantsBrownlow13 variantsBosworth13 variantscottonwood13 variants
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