circumscribe
/ˈsɜː.kəm.skɹaɪb/
"circumscribe" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“circumscribe” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To draw a line around; to encircle.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | circumscribe |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈsɜː.kəm.skɹaɪb/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “circumscribe” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for circumscribe is 12 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɜː.kəm.skɹaɪb/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for circumscribe in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin circumscrībō, from circum (“around”) + scrībō (“write”). By surface analysis, circum- + scribe. The correct English form is circumscribe, spelled C-I-R-C-U-M-S-C-R-I-B-E.
Definition
- 1To draw a line around; to encircle.
- 2To limit narrowly; to restrict.
- 3To draw the smallest circle or higher-dimensional sphere that has (a polyhedron, polygon, etc.) in its interior.
Etymology
From Latin circumscrībō, from circum (“around”) + scrībō (“write”). By surface analysis, circum- + scribe.
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 "circumscribe"?
What does "circumscribe" mean?
How do you pronounce "circumscribe"?
What is the origin of the word "circumscribe"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “circumscribe”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-I-R-C-U-M-S-C-R-I-B-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈsɜː.kəm.skɹaɪb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.