ecology

/ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/

//ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ecology” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,532 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,532
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The branch of biology dealing with the relationships of organisms with their environment and with each other.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ecology vs eulogy
71% similar
ecology vs economy
71% similar
ecology vs etiology
75% similar

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

Key facts for ecology
PropertyValue
Headwordecology
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#10,532
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ecology” 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). ecology 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 ecology is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,532 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 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 ecology, with forms such as "ceology", "eccology", and "ecloogy". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "eulogy", "economy", "etiology", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Calque of German Ökologie (coined in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel), from Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos, “house”) + -λογία (-logía, “study of”). By surface analysis, eco- + -logy. The correct English form is ecology, spelled E-C-O-L-O-G-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The branch of biology dealing with the relationships of organisms with their environment and with each other.
  2. 2
    Any study of the relationships of components of a system with their environment and with each other.
  3. 3
    The totality or pattern of relationships of components of a system with their environment and with each other.

Etymology

Calque of German Ökologie (coined in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel), from Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos, “house”) + -λογία (-logía, “study of”). By surface analysis, eco- + -logy.

This word in other languages

ecología(Español)écologie(Français)Ökologie(Deutsch)ecologia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ceology,eccology,ecloogy,ecolgoy,ecollogy,ecologgy,ecologyy,ecoloyg,ecoolgy,eoclogy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ceology2eccology1ecloogy2ecolgoy2ecollogy1ecologgy1ecologyy1ecoloyg2
Edit distance from "ecology"

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 "ecology"?
"ecology" is spelled E-C-O-L-O-G-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/.
What does "ecology" mean?
As a noun, "ecology" means: The branch of biology dealing with the relationships of organisms with their environment and with each other.
What words are commonly confused with "ecology"?
"ecology" is commonly confused with "eulogy", "economy", "etiology". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ecology"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ecology" is /ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/. 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 "ecology"?
Calque of German Ökologie (coined in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel), from Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos, “house”) + -λογία (-logía, “study of”). By surface analysis, eco- + -logy. 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 “ecology”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-C-O-L-O-G-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “eulogy” - see the side-by-side comparison. ecology vs eulogy
  • 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