electrocute

/ɪˈlɛktɹəkjuːt/

//ɪˈlɛktɹəkjuːt// verb

"electrocute" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“electrocute” is uncommon English (frequency #69,817 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,817
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To kill by electric shock.

Corpus desk

Index EN-electrocute · electrocute · English

electrocute · rank #69,817 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #69,817
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH elfin

Nearest frequency peer: elfin (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “electrocute”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “electrocute” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for electrocute
PropertyValue
Headwordelectrocute
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈlɛktɹəkjuːt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#69,817
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “electrocute” in English

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).electrocutefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “elfin” (#69,818), “Ekman” (#69,814), “Egmont” (#69,812). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “electrocute” is #69,817. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

electrocute is uncommon English at frequency #69,817 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪˈlɛktɹəkjuːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for electrocute, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Blend of electro- + execute, after electrocution. The correct English form is electrocute, spelled E-L-E-C-T-R-O-C-U-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To kill by electric shock.
  2. 2
    To execute by electric shock, often by means of an electric chair.
  3. 3
    To inflict a severe electric shock (not necessarily fatal) upon.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Her hairdryer fell into the tub while she was bathing, and she was electrocuted.
  2. The executioner threw the switch on Old Sparky, and the condemned prisoner was electrocuted for his crimes.

Etymology

Blend of electro- + execute, after electrocution.

This word in other languages

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 "electrocute"?
"electrocute" is spelled E-L-E-C-T-R-O-C-U-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈlɛktɹəkjuːt/.
What does "electrocute" mean?
As a verb, "electrocute" means: To kill by electric shock.
How do you pronounce "electrocute"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "electrocute" is /ɪˈlɛktɹəkjuːt/. 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 "electrocute"?
Blend of electro- + execute, after electrocution. 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 "electrocute", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list