pickle

/ˈpɪkəl/

//ˈpɪkəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pickle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,443 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,443
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A cucumber preserved in a solution, usually a brine or a vinegar syrup.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pickle vs pile
67% similar
pickle vs pike
67% similar
pickle vs picks
67% similar

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

Key facts for pickle
PropertyValue
Headwordpickle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪkəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,443
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pickle” 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). pickle 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 pickle is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɪkəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,443 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 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 pickle, with forms such as "ipckle", "pcikle", and "picckle". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "pile", "pike", "picks", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pikel (“spicy sauce served with meat or fish”), borrowed from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pekel (“brine”). Cognate with Scots pikkill (“salt liquor, brine”), Saterland Frisian Piekele (“pickle, brine”), Dutch pekel (“pickle, brine”),… The correct English form is pickle, spelled P-I-C-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cucumber preserved in a solution, usually a brine or a vinegar syrup.
  2. 2
    Any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish.
  3. 3
    A sweet, vinegary pickled chutney popular in Britain.
  4. 4
    The brine used for preserving food.
  5. 5
    A difficult situation; peril.
  6. 6
    A mildly mischievous loved one.
  7. 7
    A rundown.
  8. 8
    A children’s game with three participants that emulates a baseball rundown
  9. 9
    A penis.
  10. 10
    A pipe for smoking methamphetamine.
  11. 11
    A bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc., to remove burnt sand, scale, rust, etc., from the surface of castings, or other articles of metal, or to brighten them or improve their colour.
  12. 12
    In an optical landing system, the hand-held controller connected to the lens, or apparatus on which the lights are mounted.

Etymology

From Middle English pikel (“spicy sauce served with meat or fish”), borrowed from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pekel (“brine”). Cognate with Scots pikkill (“salt liquor, brine”), Saterland Frisian Piekele (“pickle, brine”), Dutch pekel (“pickle, brine”), Low German pekel, peckel, pickel, bickel (“pickle, brine”), German Pökel (“pickle, brine”), Icelandic pækill (“brine”).

This word in other languages

encurtido(Español)cornichon(Français)Essiggurke(Deutsch)achar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipckle,pcikle,picckle,pickel,pickkle,picklle,piclke,pikcle,ppickle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pickle - 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.

ipckle2pcikle2picckle1pickel2pickkle1picklle1piclke2pikcle2
Edit distance from "pickle"

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 "pickle"?
"pickle" is spelled P-I-C-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪkəl/.
What does "pickle" mean?
As a noun, "pickle" means: A cucumber preserved in a solution, usually a brine or a vinegar syrup.
What words are commonly confused with "pickle"?
"pickle" is commonly confused with "pile", "pike", "picks". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pickle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pickle" is /ˈpɪkəl/. 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 "pickle"?
From Middle English pikel (“spicy sauce served with meat or fish”), borrowed from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pekel (“brine”). Cognate with Scots pikkill (“salt liquor, brine”), Saterland Frisian Piekele (“pickle, brine”), Dutch pekel (“pickle... 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 “pickle”

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

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