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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,092 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,092
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.

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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for particular is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,092 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

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.

Using “particular”

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

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