generic

/dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk/

//dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk// adj

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

"generic" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“generic” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,966 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,966
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Very broad; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific instances.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

generic vs genetic
86% similar
generic vs genesis
71% similar
generic vs genomic
71% similar

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

Key facts for generic
PropertyValue
Headwordgeneric
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,966
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “generic” 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). generic lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for generic is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,966 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for generic, with forms such as "egneric", "geenric", and "geneirc". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "genetic", "genesis", "genomic", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French générique, from Latin genus (“genus, kind”) + -ic; thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, general. The correct English form is generic, spelled G-E-N-E-R-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Very broad; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific instances.
  2. 2
    Lacking in precision, often in an evasive fashion; vague; imprecise.
  3. 3
    Of a product or drug, not having a brand name; nonproprietary in design or contents; fungible with the rest of its class.
  4. 4
    Pertaining to genera of life instead of particular species thereof.
  5. 5
    Relating to gender.
  6. 6
    Specifying neither masculine nor feminine; epicene; unisex.
  7. 7
    Of a procedure, written so as to operate on any data type, the type required being passed as a parameter.
  8. 8
    Of a point, having coordinates that are algebraically independent over the base field.
  9. 9
    Relating to genre.
  10. 10
    Having no distinguishing characteristics; unoriginal.

Etymology

From Middle French générique, from Latin genus (“genus, kind”) + -ic; thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, general.

Synonyms

broadgeneralclassicfuzzyindefinitevagueunbrandedcatholicecumenicalgenericnonsingularnonspecificuniversalunparticularunsingularunspecific

Antonyms

specificparticularconcretespecificnon-genericproprietarybrandedgendered

This word in other languages

genérico(Español)générique(Français)allgemein(Deutsch)genérico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egneric,geenric,geneirc,generci,genericc,generric,genneric,genreic,ggeneric,gneeric

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egneric2geenric2geneirc2generci2genericc1generric1genneric1genreic2
Edit distance from "generic"

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 "generic"?
"generic" is spelled G-E-N-E-R-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk/.
What does "generic" mean?
As an adjective, "generic" means: Very broad; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific instances.
What words are commonly confused with "generic"?
"generic" is commonly confused with "genetic", "genesis", "genomic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "generic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "generic" is /dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk/. 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 "generic"?
From Middle French générique, from Latin genus (“genus, kind”) + -ic; thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, general. 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 “generic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-E-N-E-R-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “genetic” - see the side-by-side comparison. generic vs genetic
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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