perimeter

/pəˈɹɪm.ɪ.tə(ɹ)/

//pəˈɹɪm.ɪ.tə(ɹ)// noun

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

"perimeter" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“perimeter” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,579. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,579
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The sum of the distance of all the lengths of the sides of an object.

Corpus desk

Index EN-perimeter · perimeter · English

perimeter · rank #11,579 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #11,579
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pike

Nearest frequency peer: pike (+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 “perimeter”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “perimeter” 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).

perimeter vs parameter
78% similar

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

Key facts for perimeter
PropertyValue
Headwordperimeter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pəˈɹɪm.ɪ.tə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#11,579
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “perimeter”

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).perimeterlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “pike” (#11,580), “passages” (#11,577), “piper” (#11,581). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “perimeter” is #11,579. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around perimeter (IPA /pəˈɹɪm.ɪ.tə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,579 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for perimeter, with forms such as "eprimeter", "peirmeter", and "periemter". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "parameter", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin perimetros, Ancient Greek περίμετρος (perímetros). Equivalent to peri- + meter. The correct English form is perimeter, spelled P-E-R-I-M-E-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The sum of the distance of all the lengths of the sides of an object.
  2. 2
    The length of such a boundary.
  3. 3
    The outer limits of an area.
  4. 4
    A fortified strip or boundary usually protecting a military position.
  5. 5
    An instrument for determining the extent and shape of the field of vision.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. In 1977, Papa Wemba decided to change the name of his housing tract, in the outskirts of Kinshasa, to Village Molokai,² of which he declared himself traditional chief. Then, within this perimeter, he advocated a clothing style that featured, among its distinctions, a beret, and that went along with a way of walking, talking, and behaving toward others.

Etymology

From Latin perimetros, Ancient Greek περίμετρος (perímetros). Equivalent to peri- + meter.

Synonyms

circumferencepremises

This word in other languages

perímetro(Español)périmètre(Français)Umfang(Deutsch)perímetro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprimeter
  • peirmeter
  • periemter
  • perimeetr
  • perimeterr
  • perimetre
  • perimetter
  • perimmeter
  • perimteer
  • permieter
  • perrimeter
  • pperimeter
  • preimeter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprimeter2peirmeter2periemter2perimeetr2perimeterr1perimetre2perimetter1perimmeter1
Edit distance from "perimeter"

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 "perimeter"?
"perimeter" is spelled P-E-R-I-M-E-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈɹɪm.ɪ.tə(ɹ)/.
What does "perimeter" mean?
As a noun, "perimeter" means: The sum of the distance of all the lengths of the sides of an object.
What words are commonly confused with "perimeter"?
"perimeter" is commonly confused with "parameter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "perimeter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perimeter" is /pəˈɹɪm.ɪ.tə(ɹ)/. 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 "perimeter"?
From Latin perimetros, Ancient Greek περίμετρος (perímetros). Equivalent to peri- + meter. 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 "perimeter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

protector#11,585rehearsal#11,593reinforce#11,594honeymoon#11,556

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

granting13 variantssmoothly13 variantsflashing13 variantsclusters13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list