pancreas

/ˈpæŋkɹɪəs/

//ˈpæŋkɹɪəs// noun

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

The verdict

“pancreas” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,265. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,265
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A gland near the stomach which secretes a fluid into the duodenum to assist with food digestion.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pancreas vs Pancras
75% similar

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

Key facts for pancreas
PropertyValue
Headwordpancreas
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpæŋkɹɪəs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#24,265
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pancreas” 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). pancreas lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around pancreas (IPA /ˈpæŋkɹɪəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,265 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A gland near the stomach which secretes a fluid into the duodenum to assist with food digestion.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for pancreas, with forms such as "apncreas", "pacnreas", and "panccreas". 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, "Pancras", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Existing in English since the sixteenth century: from Latin pancreas, from Ancient Greek πάγκρεας (pánkreas), from πᾶν (pân, “all”) (equivalent to English pan-) + κρέας (kréas, “flesh”). The correct English form is pancreas, spelled P-A-N-C-R-E-A-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A gland near the stomach which secretes a fluid into the duodenum to assist with food digestion.

Etymology

Existing in English since the sixteenth century: from Latin pancreas, from Ancient Greek πάγκρεας (pánkreas), from πᾶν (pân, “all”) (equivalent to English pan-) + κρέας (kréas, “flesh”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apncreas
  • pacnreas
  • panccreas
  • panceras
  • pancraes
  • pancreass
  • pancresa
  • pancrreas
  • panncreas
  • panrceas
  • pnacreas
  • ppancreas

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apncreas2pacnreas2panccreas1panceras2pancraes2pancreass1pancresa2pancrreas1
Edit distance from "pancreas"

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 "pancreas"?
"pancreas" is spelled P-A-N-C-R-E-A-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæŋkɹɪəs/.
What does "pancreas" mean?
As a noun, "pancreas" means: A gland near the stomach which secretes a fluid into the duodenum to assist with food digestion.
What words are commonly confused with "pancreas"?
"pancreas" is commonly confused with "Pancras". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pancreas"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pancreas" is /ˈpæŋkɹɪəs/. 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 "pancreas"?
Existing in English since the sixteenth century: from Latin pancreas, from Ancient Greek πάγκρεας (pánkreas), from πᾶν (pân, “all”) (equivalent to English pan-) + κρέας (kréas, “flesh”). 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 “pancreas”

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

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

Same frequency band

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