circle
/ˈsɜɹkəl/
"circle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“circle” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,720 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #2,720
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 7
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 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).
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | circle |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈsɜɹkəl/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #2,720 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 7 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “circle” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for circle is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɜɹkəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,720 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A 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).
- 2A 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.
- 3Any shape, curve or arrangement of objects that approximates to or resembles the geometric figures.
- 4Any shape, curve or arrangement of objects that approximates to or resembles the geometric figures.
- 5Any shape, curve or arrangement of objects that approximates to or resembles the geometric figures.
- 6A specific group of persons; especially one who shares a common interest.
- 7The orbit of an astronomical body.
- 8A 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.
- 9A 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.
- 10A traffic circle or roundabout.
- 11Compass; circuit; enclosure.
- 12An 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.
- 13A series ending where it begins, and repeating itself.
- 14A form of argument in which two or more unproved statements are used to prove each other; inconclusive reasoning.
- 15Indirect form of words; circumlocution.
- 16A territorial division or district.
- 17A bagginess of the skin below the eyes from lack of sleep.
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
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.
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
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Using “circle”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-I-R-C-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈsɜɹkəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “cycle” - see the side-by-side comparison. circle vs cycle
- 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.