equidistant

/ˌɛk.wɪˈdɪs.tənt/

//ˌɛk.wɪˈdɪs.tənt// adj

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

The verdict

“equidistant” is uncommon English (frequency #56,096 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,096
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Occupying a position midway between two ends or sides.

Key facts for equidistant
PropertyValue
Headwordequidistant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɛk.wɪˈdɪs.tənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#56,096
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “equidistant” 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). equidistant lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

equidistant is uncommon English at frequency #56,096 among 18,836 “E” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌɛk.wɪˈdɪs.tənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for equidistant, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French équidistant, from Late Latin aequidistantem, from aequī (“equal”) + distantem (“distant”). By surface analysis, equi- + distant. The correct English form is equidistant, spelled E-Q-U-I-D-I-S-T-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Occupying a position midway between two ends or sides.
  2. 2
    Occupying a position that is an equal distance between several points. Note that in a one-dimensional space this position can be identified with two points, in a two-dimensional space with three points (not on the same straight line), and in a three-dimensional space with four points (not in the same plane).
  3. 3
    Describing a map projection that preserves scale. No map can show scale correctly throughout the entire map but some can show true scale between one or two points and every point or along every meridian and these are referred to as equidistant.

Etymology

From Middle French équidistant, from Late Latin aequidistantem, from aequī (“equal”) + distantem (“distant”). By surface analysis, equi- + distant.

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 "equidistant"?
"equidistant" is spelled E-Q-U-I-D-I-S-T-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛk.wɪˈdɪs.tənt/.
What does "equidistant" mean?
As an adjective, "equidistant" means: Occupying a position midway between two ends or sides.
How do you pronounce "equidistant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "equidistant" is /ˌɛk.wɪˈdɪs.tənt/. 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 "equidistant"?
From Middle French équidistant, from Late Latin aequidistantem, from aequī (“equal”) + distantem (“distant”). By surface analysis, equi- + distant. 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 “equidistant”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-Q-U-I-D-I-S-T-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɛk.wɪˈdɪs.tənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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