identical

/ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩/

//ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩// adj

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

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

The verdict

“identical” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,053. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,053
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Bearing full likeness by having precisely the same set of characteristics; indistinguishable.

Corpus desk

Index EN-identical · identical · English

identical · rank #5,053 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,053
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH hung

Nearest frequency peer: hung (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “identical”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “identical” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

identical vs identically
82% similar

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

Key facts for identical
PropertyValue
Headwordidentical
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,053
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “identical” 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).identical lands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around identical (IPA /ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,053 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for identical, with forms such as "dientical", "iddentical", and "idenitcal". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "identically", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From identic + -al. The correct English form is identical, spelled I-D-E-N-T-I-C-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Bearing full likeness by having precisely the same set of characteristics; indistinguishable.
  2. 2
    Not different or other; not another or others; not different as regards self; selfsame; numerically identical.
  3. 3
    Of twins, sharing the same genetic code.
  4. 4
    Exactly equivalent.
  5. 5
    Approximating or approaching exact equivalence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. My car is identical with the one my mom has just bought.
  2. By this means as many absolutely identical plates can be produced as may be required, and being hardened they will yield a very large number of prints without any appreciable deterioration.

Etymology

From identic + -al.

Synonyms

samesameselfsamemonozygoticmonovularidenticalindifferentnondifferentone and the sameselfundifferentundifferentiated

Antonyms

contrastingdifferentdistinctnon-identicalopposite

This word in other languages

idéntico(Español)identique(Français)identisch(Deutsch)idêntico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dientical
  • iddentical
  • idenitcal
  • idenntical
  • identcial
  • identiacl
  • identicall
  • identiccal
  • identicla
  • identtical
  • idetnical
  • idnetical
  • iedntical

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of identical - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

dientical2iddentical1idenitcal2idenntical1identcial2identiacl2identicall1identiccal1
Edit distance from "identical"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "identical"?
"identical" is spelled I-D-E-N-T-I-C-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩/.
What does "identical" mean?
As an adjective, "identical" means: Bearing full likeness by having precisely the same set of characteristics; indistinguishable.
What words are commonly confused with "identical"?
"identical" is commonly confused with "identically". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "identical"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "identical" is /ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩/. 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 "identical"?
From identic + -al. 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 "identical", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

highlight#5,049gradually#5,045scientist#5,080detective#5,025

Similar misspelling depth

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

Franklin13 variantscreatures13 variantscorrectly13 variantsbranches13 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "identical". Here's where to go from here.

  • This headword has one recorded confusable pair with "identically". View pair
  • 13 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,053 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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