petitio principii
/pɪˈtɪʃiˌəʊ prɪnˈkɪpiˌaɪ/
"petitio-principii" is a 16-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“petitio principii” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 17
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The logical fallacy of begging the question (i.e., "assuming the conclusion").
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | petitio principii |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /pɪˈtɪʃiˌəʊ prɪnˈkɪpiˌaɪ/ |
| Letters | 17 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “petitio principii” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for petitio principii is 17 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɪˈtɪʃiˌəʊ prɪnˈkɪpiˌaɪ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for petitio principii, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin petītiō prīncipiī (literally “an assumption from the beginning”), calque of Ancient Greek τὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ αἰτεῖσθαι (tò en arkhēî aiteîsthai, “to assume from the beginning”). The correct English form is petitio principii, spelled P-E-T-I-T-I-O- -P-R-I-N-C-I-P-I-I.
Definition
- 1The logical fallacy of begging the question (i.e., "assuming the conclusion").
- 2A particular argument which commits the fallacy of begging the question; a circular argument.
Etymology
From Latin petītiō prīncipiī (literally “an assumption from the beginning”), calque of Ancient Greek τὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ αἰτεῖσθαι (tò en arkhēî aiteîsthai, “to assume from the beginning”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “petitio principii”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-E-T-I-T-I-O- -P-R-I-N-C-I-P-I-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /pɪˈtɪʃiˌəʊ prɪnˈkɪpiˌaɪ/ (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.