circle

/ˈsɜɹkəl/

//ˈsɜɹkəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“circle” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,720. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,720
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are equally distant from a given point (center).

Corpus desk

Index EN-circle · circle · English

circle · rank #2,720 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,720
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chose

Nearest frequency peer: chose (-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 “circle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “circle” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

circle vs cycle
67% similar
circle vs circus
67% similar
circle vs cirque
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for circle
PropertyValue
Headwordcircle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɜɹkəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,720
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “circle”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).circlelands 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 “chose” (#2,719), “concert” (#2,721), “catholic” (#2,718). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “circle” is #2,720. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around circle (IPA /ˈsɜɹkəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,720 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for circle, with forms such as "ccircle", "cicrle", and "circcle". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "cycle", "circus", "cirque", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English circle, cercle, from Old French cercle and Latin circulus, diminutive of Latin circus (“circle, circus”), from Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos, “circle, ring”), related to Old English hring (“ring”). Compare also Old English ċircul (“circle… The correct English form is circle, spelled C-I-R-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are equally distant from a given point (center).
  2. 2
    A two-dimensional geometric figure, a disk, consisting of the set of all those points of a plane at a distance less than or equal to a fixed distance (radius) from a given point.
  3. 3
    Any shape, curve or arrangement of objects that approximates to or resembles the geometric figures.
  4. 4
    Any shape, curve or arrangement of objects that approximates to or resembles the geometric figures.
  5. 5
    Any shape, curve or arrangement of objects that approximates to or resembles the geometric figures.
  6. 6
    A specific group of persons; especially one who shares a common interest.
  7. 7
    The orbit of an astronomical body.
  8. 8
    A line comprising two semicircles of 30 yards radius centred on the wickets joined by straight lines parallel to the pitch used to enforce field restrictions in a one-day match.
  9. 9
    A ritual circle that is cast three times deosil and closes three times widdershins either in the air with a wand or literally with stones or other items used for worship.
  10. 10
    A traffic circle or roundabout.
  11. 11
    Compass; circuit; enclosure.
  12. 12
    An instrument of observation, whose graduated limb consists of an entire circle. When fixed to a wall in an observatory, it is called a mural circle; when mounted with a telescope on an axis and in Y's, in the plane of the meridian, a meridian or transit circle; when involving the principle of reflection, like the sextant, a reflecting circle; and when that of repeating an angle several times continuously along the graduated limb, a repeating circle.
  13. 13
    A series ending where it begins, and repeating itself.
  14. 14
    A form of argument in which two or more unproved statements are used to prove each other; inconclusive reasoning.
  15. 15
    Indirect form of words; circumlocution.
  16. 16
    A territorial division or district.
  17. 17
    A bagginess of the skin below the eyes from lack of sleep.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The set of all points (x, y) such that (x − 1)² + y² = r² is a circle of radius r around the point (1, 0).
  2. Children, please join hands and form a circle.

Etymology

From Middle English circle, cercle, from Old French cercle and Latin circulus, diminutive of Latin circus (“circle, circus”), from Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos, “circle, ring”), related to Old English hring (“ring”). Compare also Old English ċircul (“circle, zodiac”), which came from the same Latin source.

This word in other languages

círculo(Español)cercle(Français)Kreis(Deutsch)círculo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccircle
  • cicrle
  • circcle
  • circel
  • circlle
  • cirlce
  • cirrcle
  • cricle
  • icrcle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of circle - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccircle1cicrle2circcle1circel2circlle1cirlce2cirrcle1cricle2
Edit distance from "circle"

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 "circle"?
"circle" is spelled C-I-R-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɜɹkəl/.
What does "circle" mean?
As a noun, "circle" means: A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are equally distant from a given point (center).
What words are commonly confused with "circle"?
"circle" is commonly confused with "cycle", "circus", "cirque". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "circle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "circle" is /ˈsɜɹkəl/. 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 "circle"?
From Middle English circle, cercle, from Old French cercle and Latin circulus, diminutive of Latin circus (“circle, circus”), from Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos, “circle, ring”), related to Old English hring (“ring”). Compare also Old English ċircu... 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 "circle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

carbon#2,717attend#2,714deputy#2,726arrest#2,713

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

agents9 variantsvictim9 variantsturkey9 variantsnearby9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list