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picker

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

6 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "picker", 6-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "picker" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "picker" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

picker is aEnglishnoun. It means: Agent noun of pick; one who picks. Pronounced /ˈpɪkə(ɹ)/. Often confused with pier and pike.

Key facts for picker
PropertyValue
Headwordpicker
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪkə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,420
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of picker in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for picker is 6 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɪkə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,420 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 9 documented wrong-spelling variants for picker, with forms such as "ipcker", "pciker", and "piccker". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pier", "pike", "picks", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pikere, pykare, equivalent to pick + -er. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is picker, spelled P-I-C-K-E-R, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Agent noun of pick; one who picks.
  2. 2
    Agent noun of pick; one who picks.
  3. 3
    Any user interface control that selects something.
  4. 4
    A machine for picking fibrous materials to pieces so as to loosen and separate the fibre.
  5. 5
    The piece in a loom that strikes the end of the shuttle and impels it through the warp.
  6. 6
    A priming wire for cleaning the vent, in ordnance.
  7. 7
    A fragment of gold smaller than a nugget but large enough to be picked up.
  8. 8
    One who removes defects from and finishes electrotype plates.
  9. 9
    A pilferer.

Etymology

From Middle English pikere, pykare, equivalent to pick + -er.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipcker,pciker,piccker,picekr,pickerr,pickker,pickre,pikcer,ppicker

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for picker

Misspelling Variants of "picker"

ipcker6pciker6piccker7picekr6pickerr7pickker7pickre6pikcer6
Misspelling Variants of "picker"

Frequency rank: #29,420 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "picker"?
"picker" is spelled P-I-C-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪkə(ɹ)/.
What does "picker" mean?
As a noun, "picker" means: Agent noun of pick; one who picks.
What words are commonly confused with "picker"?
"picker" is commonly confused with "pier", "pike", "picks". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "picker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "picker" is /ˈpɪkə(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 "picker"?
From Middle English pikere, pykare, equivalent to pick + -er. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter P in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.