paradoxical

/ˌpæɹəˈdɒksɪkəl/

//ˌpæɹəˈdɒksɪkəl// adj

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

"paradoxical" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“paradoxical” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,779. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,779
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having self-contradictory properties.

Corpus desk

Index EN-paradoxical · paradoxical · English

paradoxical · rank #33,779 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #33,779
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH panhandle

Nearest frequency peer: panhandle (-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 “paradoxical”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “paradoxical” 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).

paradoxical vs paradoxically
85% similar

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

Key facts for paradoxical
PropertyValue
Headwordparadoxical
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌpæɹəˈdɒksɪkəl/
Letters11
Frequency rank#33,779
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “paradoxical”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “panhandle” (#33,778), “parched” (#33,781), “Overton” (#33,776). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “paradoxical” is #33,779. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around paradoxical (IPA /ˌpæɹəˈdɒksɪkəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #33,779 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Having self-contradictory properties.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for paradoxical, with forms such as "apradoxical", "paardoxical", and "paraddoxical". 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, "paradoxically", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From paradox + -ical. The correct English form is paradoxical, spelled P-A-R-A-D-O-X-I-C-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having self-contradictory properties.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is the ambiguity of language only which can make this proposition appear either doubtful or paradoxical. When properly explained and understood, it is almost self-evident.
  2. It sounds paradoxical, but I am inclined to think that the weakness and insanity of the curate warned me, braced me, and kept me a sane man.

Etymology

From paradox + -ical.

Synonyms

oxymoronicself-contradictory

Antonyms

self-consistentself-evident

This word in other languages

paradójico(Español)paradoxal(Français)paradox(Deutsch)paradoxal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apradoxical
  • paardoxical
  • paraddoxical
  • paradoixcal
  • paradoxcial
  • paradoxiacl
  • paradoxicall
  • paradoxiccal
  • paradoxicla
  • paradoxxical
  • paradxoical
  • paraodxical
  • pardaoxical
  • parradoxical
  • pparadoxical
  • praadoxical

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apradoxical2paardoxical2paraddoxical1paradoixcal2paradoxcial2paradoxiacl2paradoxicall1paradoxiccal1
Edit distance from "paradoxical"

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 "paradoxical"?
"paradoxical" is spelled P-A-R-A-D-O-X-I-C-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpæɹəˈdɒksɪkəl/.
What does "paradoxical" mean?
As an adjective, "paradoxical" means: Having self-contradictory properties.
What words are commonly confused with "paradoxical"?
"paradoxical" is commonly confused with "paradoxically". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "paradoxical"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paradoxical" is /ˌpæɹəˈdɒksɪkəl/. 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 "paradoxical"?
From paradox + -ical. 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 "paradoxical", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

opinionated#33,771regrettably#33,818Kirkpatrick#33,703intractable#33,689

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

rebranding16 variantsrefractory16 variantsretraction16 variantskickboxing16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list