cuticle

/ˈkjuːtɪkəl/

//ˈkjuːtɪkəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cuticle” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,078. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,078
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The outermost layer of the skin of vertebrates; the epidermis.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cuticle · cuticle · English

cuticle · rank #42,078 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,078
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH CSIRO

Nearest frequency peer: CSIRO (-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 “cuticle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cuticle” 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).

cuticle vs cutie
71% similar
cuticle vs cubicle
86% similar

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

Key facts for cuticle
PropertyValue
Headwordcuticle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkjuːtɪkəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#42,078
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cuticle”

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).cuticlelands 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 “CSIRO” (#42,077), “cyberbullying” (#42,079), “Dalrymple” (#42,080). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cuticle” is #42,078. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around cuticle (IPA /ˈkjuːtɪkəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,078 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for cuticle, with forms such as "ccuticle", "ctuicle", and "cuitcle". 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, "cutie", "cubicle", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French cuticule, from Latin cuticula (“cuticle, skin”). The correct English form is cuticle, spelled C-U-T-I-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The outermost layer of the skin of vertebrates; the epidermis.
  2. 2
    The strip of hardened skin at the base and sides of a fingernail or toenail.
  3. 3
    Dead or cornified epidermis.
  4. 4
    A noncellular protective covering outside the epidermis of many invertebrates and plants.
  5. 5
    A thin skin formed on the surface of a liquid.
  6. 6
    A protective layer on the shell of a bird's egg.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. By that time she has pushed back his cuticles, cleaned his nails and painted them with clear polish.

Etymology

From Middle French cuticule, from Latin cuticula (“cuticle, skin”).

Synonyms

cuticula

This word in other languages

cutícula(Español)cuticule(Français)Nagelhaut(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccuticle
  • ctuicle
  • cuitcle
  • cutcile
  • cuticcle
  • cuticel
  • cuticlle
  • cutilce
  • cutticle
  • ucticle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cuticle - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccuticle1ctuicle2cuitcle2cutcile2cuticcle1cuticel2cuticlle1cutilce2
Edit distance from "cuticle"

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 "cuticle"?
"cuticle" is spelled C-U-T-I-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkjuːtɪkəl/.
What does "cuticle" mean?
As a noun, "cuticle" means: The outermost layer of the skin of vertebrates; the epidermis.
What words are commonly confused with "cuticle"?
"cuticle" is commonly confused with "cutie", "cubicle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cuticle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cuticle" is /ˈkjuːtɪkəl/. 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 "cuticle"?
From Middle French cuticule, from Latin cuticula (“cuticle, skin”). 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 "cuticle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

crucify#42,075Denning#42,086cistern#42,061diurnal#42,102

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

coldly10 variantsdominos10 variantsBoateng10 variantsfalsetto10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list