peck

/pɛk/

//pɛk// verb

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

"peck" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“peck” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,877. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,877
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).

Corpus desk

Index EN-peck · peck · English

peck · rank #15,877 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,877
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH ovarian

Nearest frequency peer: ovarian (-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 “peck”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “peck” 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).

peck vs PK
0% similar
peck vs per
50% similar
peck vs pet
50% similar

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

Key facts for peck
PropertyValue
Headwordpeck
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɛk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#15,877
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “peck”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).pecklands 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 “ovarian” (#15,876), “penal” (#15,878), “opium” (#15,875). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “peck” is #15,877. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around peck (IPA /pɛk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #15,877 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for peck, with forms such as "epck", "pcek", and "pecck". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "PK", "per", "pet", and more, 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 pecken, pekken, variant of Middle English piken, picken, pikken (“to pick, use a pointed implement”). More at pick. The correct English form is peck, spelled P-E-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
  2. 2
    To form by striking with the beak or a pointed instrument.
  3. 3
    To strike, pick, thrust against, or dig into, with a pointed instrument, especially with repeated quick movements.
  4. 4
    To seize and pick up with the beak, or as if with the beak; to bite; to eat; often with up.
  5. 5
    To do something in small, intermittent pieces.
  6. 6
    To type by searching for each key individually.
  7. 7
    To type in general.
  8. 8
    To kiss briefly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The birds pecked at their food.
  2. The rooster had been known to fly on her shoulder and peck her neck, so that now she carried a stick or took one of the children with her when she went to feed the fowls.

Etymology

From Middle English pecken, pekken, variant of Middle English piken, picken, pikken (“to pick, use a pointed implement”). More at pick.

This word in other languages

picotear(Español)becqueter(Français)picken(Deutsch)bicar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epck
  • pcek
  • pecck
  • peckk
  • pekc
  • ppeck

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epck2pcek2pecck1peckk1pekc2ppeck1
Edit distance from "peck"

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 "peck"?
"peck" is spelled P-E-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /pɛk/.
What does "peck" mean?
As a verb, "peck" means: To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
What words are commonly confused with "peck"?
"peck" is commonly confused with "PK", "per", "pet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "peck"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "peck" is /pɛk/. 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 "peck"?
From Middle English pecken, pekken, variant of Middle English piken, picken, pikken (“to pick, use a pointed implement”). More at pick. 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 "peck", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

NYPD#15,869mont#15,865raft#15,892roam#15,899

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

opium6 variantsRubio6 variantsSWAT6 variantstram6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list