circuit

/ˈsɜː.kɪt/

//ˈsɜː.kɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“circuit” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,154 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,154
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

circuit vs circus
71% similar
circuit vs circuitry
78% similar

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

Key facts for circuit
PropertyValue
Headwordcircuit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɜː.kɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,154
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “circuit” 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). circuit 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 circuit is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɜː.kɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,154 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for circuit, with forms such as "ccircuit", "cicruit", and "circcuit". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "circus", "circuitry", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English circuit, from Old French circuit, from Latin circuitus (“a going round”), from circuire (“go round”), from circum (“around”) + ire. The correct English form is circuit, spelled C-I-R-C-U-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution
  2. 2
    The circumference of, or distance around, any space; the measure of a line around an area.
  3. 3
    That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown.
  4. 4
    The space enclosed within a circle, or within limits.
  5. 5
    Enclosed path of an electric current, usually designed for a certain function.
  6. 6
    A regular or appointed trip from place to place as part of one's job
  7. 7
    The jurisdiction of certain judges within a state or country, whether itinerant or not.
  8. 8
    Abbreviation of circuit court.
  9. 9
    The basic grouping of local Methodist churches.
  10. 10
    A set of theaters among which the same acts circulate; especially common in the heyday of vaudeville.
  11. 11
    A track on which a race is held; a racetrack
  12. 12
    circumlocution
  13. 13
    A thought that unconsciously goes round and round in a person's mind and controls that person.
  14. 14
    A closed trail.
  15. 15
    A chain of cinemas/movie theaters.
  16. 16
    A single completion of all of the exercises in a circuit training regime.

Etymology

From Middle English circuit, from Old French circuit, from Latin circuitus (“a going round”), from circuire (“go round”), from circum (“around”) + ire.

Synonyms

periplus

This word in other languages

circuito(Español)circuit(Français)Umlauf(Deutsch)circuito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccircuit,cicruit,circcuit,circiut,circuitt,circuti,cirrcuit,cirucit,cricuit,icrcuit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccircuit1cicruit2circcuit1circiut2circuitt1circuti2cirrcuit1cirucit2
Edit distance from "circuit"

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 "circuit"?
"circuit" is spelled C-I-R-C-U-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɜː.kɪt/.
What does "circuit" mean?
As a noun, "circuit" means: The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution
What words are commonly confused with "circuit"?
"circuit" is commonly confused with "circus", "circuitry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "circuit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "circuit" is /ˈsɜː.kɪt/. 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 "circuit"?
From Middle English circuit, from Old French circuit, from Latin circuitus (“a going round”), from circuire (“go round”), from circum (“around”) + ire. 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 “circuit”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-I-R-C-U-I-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɜː.kɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “circus” - see the side-by-side comparison. circuit vs circus
  • 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