necklace

/ˈnɛkləs/

//ˈnɛkləs// noun

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

"necklace" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“necklace” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,961 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,961
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An article of jewelry that is worn around the neck, most often made of a string of precious metal, pearls, gems, beads or shells, and sometimes having a pendant attached.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

necklace vs neckline
75% similar

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

Key facts for necklace
PropertyValue
Headwordnecklace
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɛkləs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,961
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “necklace” 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). necklace 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 necklace is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnɛkləs/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,961 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for necklace, with forms such as "encklace", "nceklace", and "neccklace". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "neckline", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From neck + lace. The correct English form is necklace, spelled N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An article of jewelry that is worn around the neck, most often made of a string of precious metal, pearls, gems, beads or shells, and sometimes having a pendant attached.
  2. 2
    Anything resembling a necklace in shape.
  3. 3
    A device used in necklacing (an informal execution); a rubber tyre that is filled with petrol. It is placed around the victim's chest and arms, and set on fire.

Etymology

From neck + lace.

This word in other languages

collar(Español)collier(Français)Halskette(Deutsch)colar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: encklace,nceklace,neccklace,neckalce,neckklace,necklacce,necklaec,necklcae,neckllace,neclkace,nekclace,nnecklace

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

encklace2nceklace2neccklace1neckalce2neckklace1necklacce1necklaec2necklcae2
Edit distance from "necklace"

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 "necklace"?
"necklace" is spelled N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɛkləs/.
What does "necklace" mean?
As a noun, "necklace" means: An article of jewelry that is worn around the neck, most often made of a string of precious metal, pearls, gems, beads or shells, and sometimes having a pendant attached.
What words are commonly confused with "necklace"?
"necklace" is commonly confused with "neckline". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "necklace"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "necklace" is /ˈnɛkləs/. 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 "necklace"?
From neck + lace. 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 “necklace”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnɛkləs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “neckline” - see the side-by-side comparison. necklace vs neckline
  • 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