picker

/ˈpɪkə(ɹ)/

//ˈpɪkə(ɹ)// noun

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

"picker" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“picker” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,420. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,420
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Agent noun of pick; one who picks.

Corpus desk

Index EN-picker · picker · English

picker · rank #29,420 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,420
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH poached

Nearest frequency peer: poached (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “picker”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “picker” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

picker vs pier
67% similar
picker vs pike
67% similar
picker vs picks
67% similar

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

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 seat of misspelling magnet “picker”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).pickerlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “poached” (#29,421), “Phuket” (#29,418), “precautionary” (#29,422). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “picker” is #29,420. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around picker (IPA /ˈpɪkə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,420 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for picker, with forms such as "ipcker", "pciker", and "piccker". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pier", "pike", "picks", 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 pikere, pykare, equivalent to pick + -er. The correct English form is picker, spelled P-I-C-K-E-R.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how picker appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The apple picker climbed the tree.
  2. That concertina was a wonder in its way. The handles that was on it first was wore out long ago, and he'd made new ones of braided rope yarn. And the bellows was patched in more places than a cranberry picker's overalls.

Etymology

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

This word in other languages

cueilleur(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ipcker
  • pciker
  • piccker
  • picekr
  • pickerr
  • pickker
  • pickre
  • pikcer
  • ppicker

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of picker - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ipcker2pciker2piccker1picekr2pickerr1pickker1pickre2pikcer2
Edit distance from "picker"

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 "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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "picker", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Phuket#29,418Ramona#29,429reflux#29,435ritter#29,444

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

nestle9 variantsMosley9 variantssheesh9 variantsminted9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list