Percival

/ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/

//ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl// name

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

"percival" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Percival” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,532 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#32,532
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male given name from the Celtic languages.

Key facts for Percival
PropertyValue
HeadwordPercival
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#32,532
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Percival” 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). Percival 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 Percival is 8 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,532 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 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for Percival, with forms such as "eprcival", "pecrival", and "perccival". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French Perceval, name of a knight in a twelfth century Arthurian romance by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes. Shaped like Old French percier (“pierce”) + val (“valley”), but probably representing some Gaulish or Old Welsh name, possibly related t… The correct English form is Percival, spelled P-E-R-C-I-V-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from the Celtic languages.
  2. 2
    A surname originating as a patronymic.
  3. 3
    An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fremont County, Iowa, United States.
  4. 4
    A former hamlet in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Etymology

From Old French Perceval, name of a knight in a twelfth century Arthurian romance by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes. Shaped like Old French percier (“pierce”) + val (“valley”), but probably representing some Gaulish or Old Welsh name, possibly related to Welsh Peredur, from ber (“spear, lance”) (from Middle Welsh ber, from Proto-Brythonic *ber, from Proto-Celtic *beru (“spit”)) + dur (“hard metal, steel”) (see Latin durus). Cognate with German Parzival and Parsifal.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eprcival,pecrival,perccival,perciavl,percivall,percivla,percivval,percvial,pericval,perrcival,ppercival,precival

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprcival2pecrival2perccival1perciavl2percivall1percivla2percivval1percvial2
Edit distance from "Percival"

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 "Percival"?
"Percival" is spelled P-E-R-C-I-V-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/.
What does "Percival" mean?
As a proper noun, "Percival" means: A male given name from the Celtic languages.
What are common misspellings of "Percival"?
Common misspellings include "eprcival", "pecrival", "perccival", "perciavl", "percivall". The correct spelling is "Percival".
How do you pronounce "Percival"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Percival" is /ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/. 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 "Percival"?
From Old French Perceval, name of a knight in a twelfth century Arthurian romance by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes. Shaped like Old French percier (“pierce”) + val (“valley”), but probably representing some Gaulish or Old Welsh name, possibly... 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 “Percival”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-C-I-V-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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