particle

/ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/

//ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l// noun

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

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

The verdict

“particle” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,326. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,326
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-particle · particle · English

particle · rank #8,326 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,326
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH opt

Nearest frequency peer: opt (-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 “particle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “particle” 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).

particle vs particles
89% similar
particle vs partial
75% similar
particle vs participle
80% similar

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

Key facts for particle
PropertyValue
Headwordparticle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,326
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “particle”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).particlelands 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 “opt” (#8,325), “peanut” (#8,327), “obsession” (#8,324). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “particle” is #8,326. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around particle (IPA /ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,326 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for particle, with forms such as "aprticle", "paritcle", and "parrticle". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "particles", "partial", "participle", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French particule, and its source, Latin particula (“small part, particle”), diminutive of pars (“part, piece”). The correct English form is particle, spelled P-A-R-T-I-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something.
  2. 2
    Any of various physical objects making up the constituent parts of an atom; an elementary particle or subatomic particle.
  3. 3
    A part of speech that has no inherent lexical definition but must be associated with another word to impart meaning, often a grammatical category: for example, the English word to in a full infinitive phrase (to eat) or O in a vocative phrase (O Canada), or as a discourse marker (mmm).
  4. 4
    A part of speech which cannot be inflected.
  5. 5
    In the Roman Catholic church, a crumb of consecrated bread; also the smaller breads used in the communion of the laity.
  6. 6
    A little bit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Be content with the knowledge that, ere the voyage had ended, both she and I were desperately and unreasoningly in love with one another. Heaven knows that I can make the admission now without one particle of vanity.
  2. Not every exasperated petty bourgeois could have become Hitler, but a particle of Hitler is lodged in every exasperated petty bourgeois.

Etymology

From Middle French particule, and its source, Latin particula (“small part, particle”), diminutive of pars (“part, piece”).

This word in other languages

partícula(Español)particule(Français)Teilchen(Deutsch)partícula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aprticle
  • paritcle
  • parrticle
  • partcile
  • particcle
  • particel
  • particlle
  • partilce
  • partticle
  • patricle
  • pparticle
  • praticle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprticle2paritcle2parrticle1partcile2particcle1particel2particlle1partilce2
Edit distance from "particle"

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 "particle"?
"particle" is spelled P-A-R-T-I-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/.
What does "particle" mean?
As a noun, "particle" means: A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something.
What words are commonly confused with "particle"?
"particle" is commonly confused with "particles", "partial", "participle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "particle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "particle" is /ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/. 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 "particle"?
From Middle French particule, and its source, Latin particula (“small part, particle”), diminutive of pars (“part, piece”). 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 "particle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

monument#8,320moisture#8,319literacy#8,313relaxing#8,340

Similar misspelling depth

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

obsession12 variantssounding12 variantsfinishes12 variantsfinances12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list