particular

/pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/

//pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə// adj

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

"particular" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“particular” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,092. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,092
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.

Corpus desk

Index EN-particular · particular · English

particular · rank #1,092 · 15 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,092
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH nearly

Nearest frequency peer: nearly (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “particular”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “particular” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

particular vs particulars
91% similar
particular vs particulate
82% similar
particular vs particularly
83% similar

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

Key facts for particular
PropertyValue
Headwordparticular
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#1,092
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “particular” 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). particular 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 15 spelling variants around particular (IPA /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #1,092 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for particular, with forms such as "aprticular", "paritcular", and "parrticular". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "particulars", "particulate", "particularly", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Equivalent to particle + -ar. Compare particle. The correct English form is particular, spelled P-A-R-T-I-C-U-L-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
  2. 2
    Specific; discrete; concrete.
  3. 3
    Specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing.
  4. 4
    Known only to an individual person or group; confidential.
  5. 5
    Distinguished in some way; special (often in negative constructions).
  6. 6
    Of a person, concerned with, or attentive to, details; fastidious.
  7. 7
    Concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; circumstantial; precise.
  8. 8
    Containing a part only; limited.
  9. 9
    Holding a particular estate.
  10. 10
    Forming a part of a genus; relatively limited in extension; affirmed or denied of a part of a subject.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I couldn't find the particular model you asked for, but I hope this one will do.
  2. We knew it was named after John Smith, but nobody knows which particular John Smith.

Etymology

From Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Equivalent to particle + -ar. Compare particle.

This word in other languages

particular(Español)particulier(Français)speziell(Deutsch)específico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aprticular
  • paritcular
  • parrticular
  • partciular
  • particcular
  • particluar
  • particualr
  • particularr
  • particullar
  • particulra
  • partiuclar
  • partticular
  • patricular
  • pparticular
  • praticular

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprticular2paritcular2parrticular1partciular2particcular1particluar2particualr2particularr1
Edit distance from "particular"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "particular"?
"particular" is spelled P-A-R-T-I-C-U-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/.
What does "particular" mean?
As an adjective, "particular" means: Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
What words are commonly confused with "particular"?
"particular" is commonly confused with "particulars", "particulate", "particularly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "particular"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "particular" is /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/. 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 "particular"?
From Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Equivalent to particle + -ar. Compare parti... 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 "particular", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

individual#1,082throughout#1,111absolutely#1,114completely#1,070

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

conditions15 variantspopulation15 variantsdefinitely15 variantsinterested15 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "particular". Here's where to go from here.

  • "particular" maps to 3 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "particulars". View pair
  • 15 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,092 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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