peccadillo

/ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.loʊ/

//ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.loʊ// noun

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

The verdict

“peccadillo” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small flaw or sin.

Corpus desk

Index EN-peccadillo · peccadillo · English

peccadillo · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for peccadillo
PropertyValue
Headwordpeccadillo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.loʊ/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “peccadillo” in English

peccadillosits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

peccadillo is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.loʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for peccadillo in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish pecadillo, diminutive form of pecado (“sin”), from Latin peccatum (“sin, error, fault”), from peccō (“I sin, offend”). The correct English form is peccadillo, spelled P-E-C-C-A-D-I-L-L-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small flaw or sin.
  2. 2
    A petty offense.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We tolerate Irene and Phil’s mild racist quirks and planet-destroying peccadilloes (“I could never own any car smaller than my Cutlass Supreme”) because their existence acts as a tranquilizer in an otherwise slightly-out-of-control world.
  2. The sex scandal issue isn’t really central, since Americans have a long record of voting for the candidates they think can deliver, regardless of private peccadilloes.

Etymology

From Spanish pecadillo, diminutive form of pecado (“sin”), from Latin peccatum (“sin, error, fault”), from peccō (“I sin, offend”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "peccadillo"?
"peccadillo" is spelled P-E-C-C-A-D-I-L-L-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.loʊ/.
What does "peccadillo" mean?
As a noun, "peccadillo" means: A small flaw or sin.
How do you pronounce "peccadillo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peccadillo" is /ˌpɛ.kəˈdɪ.loʊ/. 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 "peccadillo"?
From Spanish pecadillo, diminutive form of pecado (“sin”), from Latin peccatum (“sin, error, fault”), from peccō (“I sin, offend”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list