equip

/ɪˈkwɪp/

//ɪˈkwɪp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“equip” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,943. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,943
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To supply with something necessary in order to carry out a specific action or task; to provide with (e.g. weapons, provisions, munitions, rigging).

Corpus desk

Index EN-equip · equip · English

equip · rank #14,943 · 6 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,943
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH FAA

Nearest frequency peer: FAA (+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 “equip”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “equip” 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).

equip vs equity
67% similar
equip vs equal
60% similar
equip vs equine
67% similar

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

Key facts for equip
PropertyValue
Headwordequip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈkwɪp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#14,943
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “equip”

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).equiplands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “FAA” (#14,944), “embarked” (#14,941), “foley” (#14,946). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “equip” is #14,943. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around equip (IPA /ɪˈkwɪp/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,943 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for equip, with forms such as "eqiup", "eqquip", and "equipp". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "equity", "equal", "equine", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French équiper (“to supply, fit out”), originally said of a ship, Old French esquiper (“to embark”); of Germanic origin, most probably from Old Norse skipa (“to man (a ship)”), from Proto-Germanic *skipōną (“to ship, sail, embark”). Compare with Middle… The correct English form is equip, spelled E-Q-U-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To supply with something necessary in order to carry out a specific action or task; to provide with (e.g. weapons, provisions, munitions, rigging).
  2. 2
    To dress up; to array; to clothe.
  3. 3
    To prepare (someone) with a skill.
  4. 4
    To equip oneself with (an item); to bring (equipment) into active use.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1698-1699, Edmund Ludlow, Memoirs Gave orders for equipping a considerable fleet.
  2. A semicircular plate, with the numbers in multiples of five up to thirty miles an hour, is equipped with a pointer, which indicates accurately the speed of the car.

Etymology

From French équiper (“to supply, fit out”), originally said of a ship, Old French esquiper (“to embark”); of Germanic origin, most probably from Old Norse skipa (“to man (a ship)”), from Proto-Germanic *skipōną (“to ship, sail, embark”). Compare with Middle High German schipfen, German schiffern, Icelandic skipa, Old English scipian. Doublet of ship.

Synonyms

appareldightfit outkit outdondressput onclothe

This word in other languages

equiparse(Español)ausrüsten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eqiup
  • eqquip
  • equipp
  • equpi
  • euqip
  • qeuip

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eqiup2eqquip1equipp1equpi2euqip2qeuip2
Edit distance from "equip"

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 "equip"?
"equip" is spelled E-Q-U-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈkwɪp/.
What does "equip" mean?
As a verb, "equip" means: To supply with something necessary in order to carry out a specific action or task; to provide with (e.g. weapons, provisions, munitions, rigging).
What words are commonly confused with "equip"?
"equip" is commonly confused with "equity", "equal", "equine". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "equip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "equip" is /ɪˈkwɪp/. 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 "equip"?
From French équiper (“to supply, fit out”), originally said of a ship, Old French esquiper (“to embark”); of Germanic origin, most probably from Old Norse skipa (“to man (a ship)”), from Proto-Germanic *skipōną (“to ship, sail, embark”). Compare w... 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 "equip", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

foley#14,946havoc#14,957humid#14,964cider#14,919

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

hind6 variantscanoe6 variantsCannes6 variantsbows6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list