pellet

/ˈpɛl.ɪt/

//ˈpɛl.ɪt// noun

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

"pellet" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pellet” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,525 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,525
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pellet vs pelt
67% similar
pellet vs pulled
67% similar
pellet vs pollen
67% similar

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

Key facts for pellet
PropertyValue
Headwordpellet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛl.ɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#25,525
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pellet” 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). pellet 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 pellet is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɛl.ɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,525 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for pellet, with forms such as "epllet", "pelelt", and "pelet". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "pelt", "pulled", "pollen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English pelote, pelet, from Old French pelote (“small ball”), from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila (“ball”). Doublet of pelota. The correct English form is pellet, spelled P-E-L-L-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.
  2. 2
    A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns.
  3. 3
    Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls and many other birds of prey, which serves as a waste disposal mechanism for indigestible parts of food, such as fur and bones.
  4. 4
    A roundel sable (black circular spot).
  5. 5
    One of the short conductive tubes in a Pelletron particle accelerator.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English pelote, pelet, from Old French pelote (“small ball”), from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila (“ball”). Doublet of pelota.

This word in other languages

bolita(Español)granule(Français)Gewölle(Deutsch)sedimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epllet,pelelt,pelet,pellett,pellte,plelet,ppellet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pellet - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

epllet2pelelt2pelet1pellett1pellte2plelet2ppellet1
Edit distance from "pellet"

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 "pellet"?
"pellet" is spelled P-E-L-L-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛl.ɪt/.
What does "pellet" mean?
As a noun, "pellet" means: A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.
What words are commonly confused with "pellet"?
"pellet" is commonly confused with "pelt", "pulled", "pollen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pellet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pellet" is /ˈpɛl.ɪt/. 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 "pellet"?
Inherited from Middle English pelote, pelet, from Old French pelote (“small ball”), from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila (“ball”). Doublet of pelota. 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 “pellet”

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

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