metric

/ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/

//ˈmɛt.ɹɪk// adj

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

"metric" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“metric” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,577. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,577
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or relating to the metric system of measurement.

Corpus desk

Index EN-metric · metric · English

metric · rank #8,577 · 9 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,577
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH med

Nearest frequency peer: med (-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 “metric”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “metric” 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).

metric vs mythic
67% similar
metric vs metrics
86% similar
metric vs Merc
50% similar

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

Key facts for metric
PropertyValue
Headwordmetric
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,577
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “metric”

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).metriclands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “med” (#8,576), “militia” (#8,578), “masks” (#8,575). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “metric” is #8,577. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around metric (IPA /ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,577 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for metric, with forms such as "emtric", "mertic", and "metirc". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "mythic", "metrics", "Merc", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French métrique (1864), from New Latin metricus (“pertaining to the system based on the meter”), from metrum (“a meter”); see meter. By surface analysis, metre + -ic. The correct English form is metric, spelled M-E-T-R-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to the metric system of measurement.
  2. 2
    Of or relating to the meter of a piece of music.
  3. 3
    Of or relating to distance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. But the red planet has been a graveyard for Russian, European and American missions, including an embarrassing 1999 NASA fail caused when a computer, running on metric numbers, and engineers, dealing in nonmetric numbers, got their signals crossed.

Etymology

From French métrique (1864), from New Latin metricus (“pertaining to the system based on the meter”), from metrum (“a meter”); see meter. By surface analysis, metre + -ic.

This word in other languages

métrico(Español)métrique(Français)metrisch(Deutsch)métrico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emtric
  • mertic
  • metirc
  • metrci
  • metricc
  • metrric
  • mettric
  • mmetric
  • mteric

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emtric2mertic2metirc2metrci2metricc1metrric1mettric1mmetric1
Edit distance from "metric"

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 "metric"?
"metric" is spelled M-E-T-R-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/.
What does "metric" mean?
As an adjective, "metric" means: Of or relating to the metric system of measurement.
What words are commonly confused with "metric"?
"metric" is commonly confused with "mythic", "metrics", "Merc". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "metric"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "metric" is /ˈmɛt.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 "metric"?
From French métrique (1864), from New Latin metricus (“pertaining to the system based on the meter”), from metrum (“a meter”); see meter. By surface analysis, metre + -ic. 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 "metric", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

naming#8,579Manila#8,572Luther#8,571lining#8,570

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

militia9 variantsmapping9 variantsranger9 variantsrented9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list