perfectionist

/pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/

//pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst// noun

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

"perfectionist" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“perfectionist” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,362 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#33,362
frequency rank, English
13
letters
20
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who is unwilling to settle for anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

perfectionist vs perfectionism
92% similar

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

Key facts for perfectionist
PropertyValue
Headwordperfectionist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/
Letters13
Frequency rank#33,362
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “perfectionist” 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). perfectionist 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 perfectionist is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,362 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for perfectionist, with forms such as "eprfectionist", "pefrectionist", and "perefctionist". 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, "perfectionism", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From perfection + -ist. The correct English form is perfectionist, spelled P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who is unwilling to settle for anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards.
  2. 2
    Someone who thinks that religious or moral perfection can be attained in this life.
  3. 3
    One of the Bible Communists or Free-lovers, a small American sect founded by J. H. Noyes (1811-86), which settled at Oneida in 1848, holding that the gospel if accepted secures freedom from sin.

Etymology

From perfection + -ist.

This word in other languages

perfeccionista(Español)perfectionniste(Français)Perfektionist(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eprfectionist,pefrectionist,perefctionist,perfcetionist,perfecctionist,perfecitonist,perfectinoist,perfectioinst,perfectionisst,perfectionistt,perfectionits,perfectionnist,perfectionsit,perfectoinist,perfecttionist,perfetcionist,perffectionist,perrfectionist,pperfectionist,prefectionist

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprfectionist2pefrectionist2perefctionist2perfcetionist2perfecctionist1perfecitonist2perfectinoist2perfectioinst2
Edit distance from "perfectionist"

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 "perfectionist"?
"perfectionist" is spelled P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/.
What does "perfectionist" mean?
As a noun, "perfectionist" means: Someone who is unwilling to settle for anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards.
What words are commonly confused with "perfectionist"?
"perfectionist" is commonly confused with "perfectionism". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "perfectionist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perfectionist" is /pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/. 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 "perfectionist"?
From perfection + -ist. 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 “perfectionist”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɚˈfɛk.ʃənɪst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “perfectionism” - see the side-by-side comparison. perfectionist vs perfectionism
  • 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