pack

/pæk/

//pæk// noun

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

"pack" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pack” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,224 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,224
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back, but also a load for an animal, a bale.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pack vs PC
0% similar
pack vs PK
0% similar
pack vs pay
50% similar

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

Key facts for pack
PropertyValue
Headwordpack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pæk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,224
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pack” 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). pack 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 pack is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pæk/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,224 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for pack, with forms such as "apck", "pacck", and "packk". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "PC", "PK", "pay", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pak, pakke, from Old English *pæcca and/or Middle Dutch pak, packe; both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *pakkō, from Proto-Germanic *pakkô (“bundle, pack”). Cognate with Dutch pak (“pack”), Low German Pack (“pack”), German Pack (“pa… The correct English form is pack, spelled P-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back, but also a load for an animal, a bale.
  2. 2
    A number or quantity equal to the contents of a pack
  3. 3
    A multitude.
  4. 4
    A number or quantity of connected or similar things; a collective.
  5. 5
    A full set of playing cards
  6. 6
    The assortment of playing cards used in a particular game.
  7. 7
    A group of hounds or dogs, hunting or kept together.
  8. 8
    A wolfpack: a number of wolves, hunting together.
  9. 9
    A flock of knots.
  10. 10
    A group of people associated or leagued in a bad design or practice; a gang.
  11. 11
    A group of Cub Scouts.
  12. 12
    A shook of cask staves.
  13. 13
    A bundle of sheet iron plates for rolling simultaneously.
  14. 14
    A large area of floating pieces of ice driven together more or less closely.
  15. 15
    An envelope, or wrapping, of sheets used in hydropathic practice, called dry pack, wet pack, cold pack, etc., according to the method of treatment.
  16. 16
    A loose, lewd, or worthless person.
  17. 17
    A tight group of object balls in cue sports. Usually the reds in snooker.
  18. 18
    The forwards in a rugby team (eight in Rugby Union, six in Rugby League) who with the opposing pack constitute the scrum.
  19. 19
    The largest group of blockers from both teams skating in close proximity.
  20. 20
    A package of cigarettes.

Etymology

From Middle English pak, pakke, from Old English *pæcca and/or Middle Dutch pak, packe; both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *pakkō, from Proto-Germanic *pakkô (“bundle, pack”). Cognate with Dutch pak (“pack”), Low German Pack (“pack”), German Pack (“pack”), Swedish packe (“pack”), Icelandic pakka, pakki (“package”).

Synonyms

deck

This word in other languages

paquete(Español)pack(Français)Pack(Deutsch)fardo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apck,pacck,packk,pakc,pcak,ppack

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pack - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

apck2pacck1packk1pakc2pcak2ppack1
Edit distance from "pack"

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 "pack"?
"pack" is spelled P-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /pæk/.
What does "pack" mean?
As a noun, "pack" means: A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back, but also a load for an animal, a bale.
What words are commonly confused with "pack"?
"pack" is commonly confused with "PC", "PK", "pay". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pack" is /pæk/. 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 "pack"?
From Middle English pak, pakke, from Old English *pæcca and/or Middle Dutch pak, packe; both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *pakkō, from Proto-Germanic *pakkô (“bundle, pack”). Cognate with Dutch pak (“pack”), Low German Pack (“pack”), German... 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 “pack”

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

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