picket

/ˈpɪkɪt/

//ˈpɪkɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“picket” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,458 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,458
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A stake driven into the ground.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

picket vs pike
67% similar
picket vs piet
67% similar
picket vs picks
67% similar

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

Key facts for picket
PropertyValue
Headwordpicket
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪkɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,458
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “picket” 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). picket 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 picket is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɪkɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,458 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for picket, with forms such as "ipcket", "pciket", and "piccket". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "pike", "piet", "picks", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French piquet, from piquer (“to pierce”). The correct English form is picket, spelled P-I-C-K-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stake driven into the ground.
  2. 2
    A type of punishment by which an offender had to rest his or her entire body weight on the top of a small stake.
  3. 3
    A tool in mountaineering that is driven into the snow and used as an anchor or to arrest falls.
  4. 4
    One of the soldiers or troops placed on a line forward of a position to warn against an enemy advance; or any unit (for example, an aircraft or ship) performing a similar function.
  5. 5
    A sentry.
  6. 6
    A protester positioned outside an office, workplace etc. during a strike (usually in plural); also the protest itself.
  7. 7
    The card game piquet.

Etymology

From French piquet, from piquer (“to pierce”).

This word in other languages

piquete(Español)piquet(Français)Pfosten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipcket,pciket,piccket,picekt,pickett,pickket,pickte,pikcet,ppicket

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of picket - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ipcket2pciket2piccket1picekt2pickett1pickket1pickte2pikcet2
Edit distance from "picket"

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 "picket"?
"picket" is spelled P-I-C-K-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪkɪt/.
What does "picket" mean?
As a noun, "picket" means: A stake driven into the ground.
What words are commonly confused with "picket"?
"picket" is commonly confused with "pike", "piet", "picks". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "picket"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "picket" is /ˈpɪkɪt/. 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 "picket"?
From French piquet, from piquer (“to pierce”). 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 “picket”

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

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