elect

/ɪˈlɛkt/

//ɪˈlɛkt// noun

"elect" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“elect” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,782. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,782
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One chosen or set apart.

Corpus desk

Index EN-elect · elect · English

elect · rank #6,782 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,782
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH eager

Nearest frequency peer: eager (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “elect”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “elect” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

elect vs exec
60% similar
elect vs event
60% similar
elect vs exact
60% similar

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

Key facts for elect
PropertyValue
Headwordelect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈlɛkt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,782
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “elect” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).elect lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around elect (IPA /ɪˈlɛkt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,782 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for elect, with forms such as "eelct", "elcet", and "elecct". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "exec", "event", "exact", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend. Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek rather than Latin, hence prefix ἐκ (ek), r… The correct English form is elect, spelled E-L-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    One chosen or set apart.
  2. 2
    In Calvinist theology, one foreordained to Heaven. In other Christian theologies, someone chosen by God for salvation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth.
  2. Shall not God avenge his won elect?

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend. Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek rather than Latin, hence prefix ἐκ (ek), rather than e- (from ex).

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eelct
  • elcet
  • elecct
  • electt
  • eletc
  • ellect
  • leect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eelct2elcet2elecct1electt1eletc2ellect1leect2
Edit distance from "elect"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "elect"?
"elect" is spelled E-L-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈlɛkt/.
What does "elect" mean?
As a noun, "elect" means: One chosen or set apart.
What words are commonly confused with "elect"?
"elect" is commonly confused with "exec", "event", "exact". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "elect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elect" is /ɪˈlɛkt/. 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 "elect"?
Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend. Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek rather than Latin, hence prefix ... 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 "elect", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "elect". Here's where to go from here.

  • "elect" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "exec". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #6,782 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "E" letter cohort. E–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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