extricate

/ˈɛks.tɹɪ.keɪt/

//ˈɛks.tɹɪ.keɪt// verb

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

"extricate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“extricate” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,617. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,617
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To free, disengage, loosen, or untangle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-extricate · extricate · English

extricate · rank #47,617 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,617
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH extradite

Nearest frequency peer: extradite (-2 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 “extricate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “extricate” 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
Key facts for extricate
PropertyValue
Headwordextricate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɛks.tɹɪ.keɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#47,617
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “extricate”

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).extricatelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “extradite” (#47,615), “Farmville” (#47,619), “extinguishing” (#47,614). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “extricate” is #47,617. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around extricate (IPA /ˈɛks.tɹɪ.keɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #47,617 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for extricate, with forms such as "etxricate", "exrticate", and "extircate". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin extrīcātus, past participle of extrīcō. Compare intricate. The correct English form is extricate, spelled E-X-T-R-I-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To free, disengage, loosen, or untangle.
  2. 2
    To free from intricacies or perplexity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I finally managed to extricate myself from the tight jacket.
  2. The firefighters had to use the jaws of life to extricate Monica from the car wreck.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin extrīcātus, past participle of extrīcō. Compare intricate.

This word in other languages

librar(Español)extirper(Français)befreien(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etxricate
  • exrticate
  • extircate
  • extrciate
  • extriacte
  • extricaet
  • extricatte
  • extriccate
  • extrictae
  • extrricate
  • exttricate
  • exxtricate
  • xetricate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etxricate2exrticate2extircate2extrciate2extriacte2extricaet2extricatte1extriccate1
Edit distance from "extricate"

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 "extricate"?
"extricate" is spelled E-X-T-R-I-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛks.tɹɪ.keɪt/.
What does "extricate" mean?
As a verb, "extricate" means: To free, disengage, loosen, or untangle.
What are common misspellings of "extricate"?
Common misspellings include "etxricate", "exrticate", "extircate", "extrciate", "extriacte". The correct spelling is "extricate".
How do you pronounce "extricate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "extricate" is /ˈɛks.tɹɪ.keɪt/. 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 "extricate"?
Borrowed from Latin extrīcātus, past participle of extrīcō. Compare intricate. 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 "extricate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

extradite#47,615Farmville#47,619evocation#47,610drinkable#47,592

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

gingerly13 variantsdetonator13 variantsgratified13 variantsdenigrate13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list