perpetrator

Name: perpetrator, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈpɜː(ɹ).pɪˌtɹeɪt.ə(ɹ)/

//ˈpɜː(ɹ).pɪˌtɹeɪt.ə(ɹ)// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“perpetrator” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,163. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,163
frequency rank, English: 46,516
“P” headwords: 17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who perpetrates; especially, one who commits an offence or crime.

Corpus desk

Index EN-perpetrator · perpetrator · English

perpetrator · rank #19,163 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #19,163
LEN-MEGA 11 letters
VOW-4 4 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-HIGH 17 variants
BOOK-DENSE 46,516
PHOTO-FINISH perish

Nearest frequency peer: perish (-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.

pats

80,841
Penelope

80,840
perish

80,839
perpetrator

80,838
pervert

80,837
pharaoh

80,836

What this shows Bars show where “perpetrator” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Key facts for perpetrator
Property	Value
Headword	perpetrator
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈpɜː(ɹ).pɪˌtɹeɪt.ə(ɹ)/
Letters	11
Frequency rank	#19,163
Misspellings tracked	17
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “perpetrator” 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). perpetrator lands here:

#19,163

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around perpetrator (IPA /ˈpɜː(ɹ).pɪˌtɹeɪt.ə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,163 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "One who perpetrates; especially, one who commits an offence or crime.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for perpetrator, with forms such as "eprpetrator", "pepretrator", and "pereptrator". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin perpetrātor. By surface analysis, perpetrate + -or. The correct English form is perpetrator, spelled P-E-R-P-E-T-R-A-T-O-R.

Definition

1
One who perpetrates; especially, one who commits an offence or crime.

Etymology

From Latin perpetrātor. By surface analysis, perpetrate + -or.

Synonyms

arrestee prisoner deeder perp collar

This word in other languages

perpetrador(Español)coupable(Français)Täter(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

eprpetrator
pepretrator
pereptrator
perpertator
perpetartor
perpetraotr
perpetratorr
perpetratro
perpetrattor
perpetrrator
perpetrtaor
perpettrator
perppetrator
perpterator
perrpetrator
pperpetrator
prepetrator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of perpetrator - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "perpetrator"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "perpetrator"?

"perpetrator" is spelled P-E-R-P-E-T-R-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɜː(ɹ).pɪˌtɹeɪt.ə(ɹ)/.

What does "perpetrator" mean?

As a noun, "perpetrator" means: One who perpetrates; especially, one who commits an offence or crime.

What are common misspellings of "perpetrator"?

Common misspellings include "eprpetrator", "pepretrator", "pereptrator", "perpertator", "perpetartor". The correct spelling is "perpetrator".

How do you pronounce "perpetrator"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perpetrator" is /ˈpɜː(ɹ).pɪˌtɹeɪt.ə(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 "perpetrator"?

From Latin perpetrātor. By surface analysis, perpetrate + -or. 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 "perpetrator", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

miscarriage#19,140 selectively#19,201 supervisory#19,221 treacherous#19,235

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

preparedness17 variants psychopath17 variants undermining17 variants versatility17 variants

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.