pick

/pɪk/

//pɪk// noun

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

"pick" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pick” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #881 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#881
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tool used for digging; a pickaxe.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pick vs PK
0% similar
pick vs pin
50% similar
pick vs pit
50% similar

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

Key facts for pick
PropertyValue
Headwordpick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɪk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#881
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pick” 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). pick 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 pick is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #881 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for pick, with forms such as "ipck", "pcik", and "picck". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "PK", "pin", "pit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English piken, picken, pikken, from Old English *piccian, *pīcian (attested in pīcung (“a pricking”)), and pīcan, pȳcan (“to pick, prick, pluck”), both from Proto-West Germanic *pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic *pikkōną (“to pick, peck, prick, knock”… The correct English form is pick, spelled P-I-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tool used for digging; a pickaxe.
  2. 2
    An anchor.
  3. 3
    A pointed hammer used for dressing millstones.
  4. 4
    A tool for unlocking a lock without the original key; a lock pick, picklock.
  5. 5
    A comb with long widely spaced teeth, for use with tightly curled hair.
  6. 6
    A tool used for strumming the strings of a guitar; a plectrum.
  7. 7
    A pike or spike; the sharp point fixed in the center of a buckler.
  8. 8
    A choice; ability to choose.
  9. 9
    That which would be picked or chosen first; the best.
  10. 10
    Pasture; feed, for animals.
  11. 11
    A screen.
  12. 12
    An offensive tactic in which a player stands so as to block a defender from reaching a teammate.
  13. 13
    An interception.
  14. 14
    A good defensive play by an infielder.
  15. 15
    A pickoff.
  16. 16
    A particle of ink or paper embedded in the hollow of a letter, filling up its face, and causing a spot on a printed sheet.
  17. 17
    That which is picked in, as with a pointed pencil, to correct an unevenness in a picture.
  18. 18
    The blow that drives the shuttle, used in calculating the speed of a loom (in picks per minute); hence, in describing the fineness of a fabric, a weft thread.

Etymology

From Middle English piken, picken, pikken, from Old English *piccian, *pīcian (attested in pīcung (“a pricking”)), and pīcan, pȳcan (“to pick, prick, pluck”), both from Proto-West Germanic *pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic *pikkōną (“to pick, peck, prick, knock”), from Proto-Indo-European *bew-, *bu- (“to make a dull, hollow sound”). Doublet of pitch and peck. Cognate with Dutch pikken (“to pick”), German picken (“to pick, peck”), Old Norse pikka, pjakka (whence Icelandic pikka (“to pick, prick”), Swedish picka (“to pick, peck”)). Compare also German Low German puken (“to pick out, rip out, pull away, extract”).

This word in other languages

pico(Español)pioche(Français)Hacke(Deutsch)picareta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipck,pcik,picck,pickk,pikc,ppick

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ipck2pcik2picck1pickk1pikc2ppick1
Edit distance from "pick"

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 "pick"?
"pick" is spelled P-I-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /pɪk/.
What does "pick" mean?
As a noun, "pick" means: A tool used for digging; a pickaxe.
What words are commonly confused with "pick"?
"pick" is commonly confused with "PK", "pin", "pit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pick"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pick" is /pɪk/. 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 "pick"?
From Middle English piken, picken, pikken, from Old English *piccian, *pīcian (attested in pīcung (“a pricking”)), and pīcan, pȳcan (“to pick, prick, pluck”), both from Proto-West Germanic *pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic *pikkōną (“to pick, peck, pri... 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 “pick”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-I-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “PK” - see the side-by-side comparison. pick vs PK
  • 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