peacock

/ˈpikɑk/

//ˈpikɑk// noun

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

"peacock" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“peacock” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,298 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,298
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

peacock vs Pocock
57% similar

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

Key facts for peacock
PropertyValue
Headwordpeacock
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpikɑk/
Letters7
Frequency rank#16,298
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “peacock” 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). peacock 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 peacock is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpikɑk/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,298 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for peacock, with forms such as "epacock", "paecock", and "peaccock". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Pocock", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pecok, pekok, pocok, pacok, equivalent to pea (“peafowl; peacock”) + cock. Compare Old Norse páfugl (“peacock”, literally “pea-fowl”), and English peahen, peachick, etc. The correct English form is peacock, spelled P-E-A-C-O-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail.
  2. 2
    A peafowl (of the genus Pavo or Afropavo), either male or female.
  3. 3
    A pompous or vainglorious person [from the 14th c.].
  4. 4
    Any of various Asian species of papilionid butterflies of the genus Papilio.

Etymology

From Middle English pecok, pekok, pocok, pacok, equivalent to pea (“peafowl; peacock”) + cock. Compare Old Norse páfugl (“peacock”, literally “pea-fowl”), and English peahen, peachick, etc.

Synonyms

peafowl

This word in other languages

pavo real(Español)paon(Français)Pfau(Deutsch)pavão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epacock,paecock,peaccock,peaccok,peacocck,peacockk,peacokc,peaocck,pecaock,ppeacock

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epacock2paecock2peaccock1peaccok2peacocck1peacockk1peacokc2peaocck2
Edit distance from "peacock"

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 "peacock"?
"peacock" is spelled P-E-A-C-O-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpikɑk/.
What does "peacock" mean?
As a noun, "peacock" means: A male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail.
What words are commonly confused with "peacock"?
"peacock" is commonly confused with "Pocock". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "peacock"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peacock" is /ˈpikɑk/. 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 "peacock"?
From Middle English pecok, pekok, pocok, pacok, equivalent to pea (“peafowl; peacock”) + cock. Compare Old Norse páfugl (“peacock”, literally “pea-fowl”), and English peahen, peachick, etc. 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 “peacock”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-A-C-O-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpikɑk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Pocock” - see the side-by-side comparison. peacock vs Pocock
  • 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