eclectic

/ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/

//ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk// adj

"eclectic" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“eclectic” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,829. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,829
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-eclectic · eclectic · English

eclectic · rank #17,829 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #17,829
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH echoing

Nearest frequency peer: echoing (-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 “eclectic”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “eclectic” 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).

eclectic vs electric
75% similar

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

Key facts for eclectic
PropertyValue
Headwordeclectic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#17,829
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “eclectic”

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).eclecticlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “echoing” (#17,828), “ecstatic” (#17,830), “dyke” (#17,827). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “eclectic” is #17,829. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around eclectic (IPA /ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #17,829 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for eclectic, with forms such as "celectic", "ecclectic", and "ecelctic". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "electric", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French éclectique, from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”), from ἐκλέγω (eklégō, “I pick, choose”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) + λέγω (légō, “I choose, count”). Cognate to elect. The correct English form is eclectic, spelled E-C-L-E-C-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.
  2. 2
    Unrelated and unspecialized; heterogeneous.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Chunder Sen and the Progressive Brahmists broke entirely with Hinduism...and he selected from the scriptures of all creeds what seemed best in them for instruction and for worship. […] It is an eclectic religion: it seeks to select what is good from all religions, and it has become the latest evidence that no eclectic religion can ever influence large num…
  2. Though rooted in jazz, Byron's music is stylistically eclectic.

Etymology

From French éclectique, from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”), from ἐκλέγω (eklégō, “I pick, choose”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) + λέγω (légō, “I choose, count”). Cognate to elect.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • celectic
  • ecclectic
  • ecelctic
  • eclcetic
  • eclecctic
  • eclecitc
  • eclectci
  • eclecticc
  • eclecttic
  • ecletcic
  • ecllectic
  • elcectic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of eclectic - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

celectic2ecclectic1ecelctic2eclcetic2eclecctic1eclecitc2eclectci2eclecticc1
Edit distance from "eclectic"

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 "eclectic"?
"eclectic" is spelled E-C-L-E-C-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/.
What does "eclectic" mean?
As an adjective, "eclectic" means: Selecting a mixture of what appears to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.
What words are commonly confused with "eclectic"?
"eclectic" is commonly confused with "electric". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "eclectic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eclectic" is /ɛkˈlɛk.tɪk/. 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 "eclectic"?
From French éclectique, from Ancient Greek ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikós, “selective”), from ἐκλέγω (eklégō, “I pick, choose”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, from”) + λέγω (légō, “I choose, count”). Cognate to elect. 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 "eclectic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list