paradigm

/ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/

//ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“paradigm” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,823. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,823
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A pattern, a way of doing something; especially a pattern of thought, a system of beliefs, a conceptual framework.

Corpus desk

Index EN-paradigm · paradigm · English

paradigm · rank #12,823 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,823
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH overthrow

Nearest frequency peer: overthrow (-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 “paradigm”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “paradigm” 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).

paradigm vs paradise
75% similar
paradigm vs parading
75% similar

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

Key facts for paradigm
PropertyValue
Headwordparadigm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,823
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “paradigm”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).paradigmlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “overthrow” (#12,822), “pavement” (#12,824), “onwards” (#12,821). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “paradigm” is #12,823. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around paradigm (IPA /ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,823 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for paradigm, with forms such as "apradigm", "paardigm", and "paraddigm". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "paradise", "parading", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English paradygme, from Late Latin paradīgma, from Ancient Greek παράδειγμα (parádeigma, “pattern”), from παραδείκνυμι (paradeíknumi, “I show [beside] or compare”) + -μα (-ma, suffix forming nouns concerning the results of actions). Doublet of p… The correct English form is paradigm, spelled P-A-R-A-D-I-G-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A pattern, a way of doing something; especially a pattern of thought, a system of beliefs, a conceptual framework.
  2. 2
    An example serving as the model for such a pattern; an exceptionally good or prototypical example of a pattern or group.
  3. 3
    A set of all forms which contain a common element, especially the set of all inflectional forms of a word or a particular grammatical category.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: style, model, worldview
  2. Thomas Kuhn's landmark “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” got people talking about paradigm shifts, to the point the word itself now suggests an incomplete or biased perspective.

Etymology

From Middle English paradygme, from Late Latin paradīgma, from Ancient Greek παράδειγμα (parádeigma, “pattern”), from παραδείκνυμι (paradeíknumi, “I show [beside] or compare”) + -μα (-ma, suffix forming nouns concerning the results of actions). Doublet of paradigma.

This word in other languages

paradigma(Español)paradigme(Français)Paradigma(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apradigm
  • paardigm
  • paraddigm
  • paradgim
  • paradiggm
  • paradigmm
  • paradimg
  • paraidgm
  • pardaigm
  • parradigm
  • pparadigm
  • praadigm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apradigm2paardigm2paraddigm1paradgim2paradiggm1paradigmm1paradimg2paraidgm2
Edit distance from "paradigm"

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 "paradigm"?
"paradigm" is spelled P-A-R-A-D-I-G-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/.
What does "paradigm" mean?
As a noun, "paradigm" means: A pattern, a way of doing something; especially a pattern of thought, a system of beliefs, a conceptual framework.
What words are commonly confused with "paradigm"?
"paradigm" is commonly confused with "paradise", "parading". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "paradigm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paradigm" is /ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/. 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 "paradigm"?
From Middle English paradygme, from Late Latin paradīgma, from Ancient Greek παράδειγμα (parádeigma, “pattern”), from παραδείκνυμι (paradeíknumi, “I show [beside] or compare”) + -μα (-ma, suffix forming nouns concerning the results of actions). Do... 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 "paradigm", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pavement#12,824novelist#12,817nobody's#12,815playlist#12,831

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

reformed12 variantsknockout12 variantsinterrupt12 variantsresisted12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list