pica
/ˈpaɪkə/
"pica" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“pica” is an uncommon English word, ranked #53,166 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #53,166
- frequency rank, English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | pica |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpaɪkə/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #53,166 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “pica” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for pica is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpaɪkə/. Corpus data places it at rank #53,166 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. 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 pica, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin pīca (“jay; magpie”). Doublet of pie (“magpie”). * (pathology): From the idea that magpies will eat almost anything. The correct English form is pica, spelled P-I-C-A.
Definition
- 1A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.
- 2A magpie.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin pīca (“jay; magpie”). Doublet of pie (“magpie”). * (pathology): From the idea that magpies will eat almost anything.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “pica”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-I-C-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpaɪkə/ (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.