eccentric

/ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/

//ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk// adj

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

"eccentric" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“eccentric” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,331. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,331
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not at or in the centre; away from the centre.

Corpus desk

Index EN-eccentric · eccentric · English

eccentric · rank #13,331 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,331
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH duct

Nearest frequency peer: duct (-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 “eccentric”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “eccentric” 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
Key facts for eccentric
PropertyValue
Headwordeccentric
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#13,331
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “eccentric”

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).eccentriclands 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 “duct” (#13,330), “drip” (#13,329), “electromagnetic” (#13,334). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “eccentric” is #13,331. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around eccentric (IPA /ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #13,331 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for eccentric, with forms such as "cecentric", "eccenntric", and "eccenrtic". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric. The correct English form is eccentric, spelled E-C-C-E-N-T-R-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not at or in the centre; away from the centre.
  2. 2
    Not perfectly circular; elliptical.
  3. 3
    Having a different center; not concentric.
  4. 4
    Deviating from the norm; behaving unexpectedly or differently; unconventional and slightly strange.
  5. 5
    Against or in the opposite direction of contraction of a muscle (such as results from flexion of the lower arm (bending of the elbow joint) by an external force while contracting the triceps and other elbow extensor muscles to control that movement; opening of the jaw while flexing the masseter).
  6. 6
    Having different goals or motives.
  7. 7
    Having or being an oospore with a single large oil globule on one side that displaces much of the ooplasm and forces the ooplasts to one side.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Strikingly, we see that party births tend systematically to be at policy positions that are significantly more eccentric than those of surviving parties, whatever decision rule these parties use.
  2. As of 2008, Margaret had the most eccentric orbit of any moon in the solar system, though Nereid's mean eccentricity is greater.

Etymology

From Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric.

Synonyms

eccentricalexcentricaleccentricalexcentricaleccentricalexcentricaleccentricalexcentricaloddabnormaleccentricalexcentricalaberrantanomalousbalmybarmybizarrecrackpotcrankyeccentricerraticextraordinaryfar-outfreakishheterocliteidiocentricidiosyncraticirregularkookishkookynutbaroddballishoff-centreoutlandishoutrépeculiarpixilatedqueerquirkyquizzyspacysquirrellyuncommonwackyweirdwhimsicalwhimsomewiftyWodehousianWonkaesque

Antonyms

concentricconsistentconventionalmainstreamnormalordinaryuneccentric

This word in other languages

excéntrico(Español)excentrique(Français)exzentrisch(Deutsch)excêntrico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cecentric
  • eccenntric
  • eccenrtic
  • eccentirc
  • eccentrci
  • eccentricc
  • eccentrric
  • eccenttric
  • eccetnric
  • eccnetric
  • ececntric
  • ecentric

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cecentric2eccenntric1eccenrtic2eccentirc2eccentrci2eccentricc1eccentrric1eccenttric1
Edit distance from "eccentric"

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 "eccentric"?
"eccentric" is spelled E-C-C-E-N-T-R-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/.
What does "eccentric" mean?
As an adjective, "eccentric" means: Not at or in the centre; away from the centre.
What are common misspellings of "eccentric"?
Common misspellings include "cecentric", "eccenntric", "eccenrtic", "eccentirc", "eccentrci". The correct spelling is "eccentric".
How do you pronounce "eccentric"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eccentric" is /ɪkˈsɛntɹɪk/. 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 "eccentric"?
From Middle French excentrique, from Medieval Latin eccentricus, from Ancient Greek ἔκκεντρος (ékkentros, “not having the earth as the center of an orbit”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) + κέντρον (kéntron, “point”). Equivalent to ex- + -centric. 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 "eccentric", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

courtroom#13,315Gallagher#13,352columnist#13,306informing#13,368

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

cyclist12 variantscharcoal12 variantsimproper12 variantsBollywood12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list