plankton

/ˈplæŋ(k).tən/

//ˈplæŋ(k).tən// noun

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

"plankton" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“plankton” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,248. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,248
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Organisms, especially small and microscopic ones, that drift in water.

Corpus desk

Index EN-plankton · plankton · English

plankton · rank #27,248 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,248
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH prasad

Nearest frequency peer: prasad (+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 “plankton”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “plankton” 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
Key facts for plankton
PropertyValue
Headwordplankton
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈplæŋ(k).tən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#27,248
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “plankton”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).planktonlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “prasad” (#27,249), “phenotype” (#27,246), “Prius” (#27,251). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “plankton” is #27,248. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around plankton (IPA /ˈplæŋ(k).tən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,248 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for plankton, with forms such as "lpankton", "palnkton", and "plaknton". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Plankton, coined by German zoologist and marine biologist Victor Hensen. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek πλαγκτός (planktós, “drifter”) + -on. Ultimately from Ancient Greek πλαγκτόν (planktón, “drifting”), neuter nominative of πλαγκτ… The correct English form is plankton, spelled P-L-A-N-K-T-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Organisms, especially small and microscopic ones, that drift in water.
  2. 2
    A plankter, any single organism that drifts in water.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Whales feed on tiny plankton drifting in the ocean.
  2. The lake water was full of microscopic plankton.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Plankton, coined by German zoologist and marine biologist Victor Hensen. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek πλαγκτός (planktós, “drifter”) + -on. Ultimately from Ancient Greek πλαγκτόν (planktón, “drifting”), neuter nominative of πλαγκτός (planktós), from πλάζομαι (plázomai, “to wander, drift”), from πλάζω (plázō, “to cause to wander, drive astray”). By surface analysis, plankt- + -on.

This word in other languages

plancton(Español)plancton(Français)Plankton(Deutsch)plâncton(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lpankton
  • palnkton
  • plaknton
  • plankkton
  • plankotn
  • planktno
  • planktonn
  • planktton
  • plannkton
  • plantkon
  • pllankton
  • plnakton
  • pplankton

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lpankton2palnkton2plaknton2plankkton1plankotn2planktno2planktonn1planktton1
Edit distance from "plankton"

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 "plankton"?
"plankton" is spelled P-L-A-N-K-T-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈplæŋ(k).tən/.
What does "plankton" mean?
As a noun, "plankton" means: Organisms, especially small and microscopic ones, that drift in water.
What are common misspellings of "plankton"?
Common misspellings include "lpankton", "palnkton", "plaknton", "plankkton", "plankotn". The correct spelling is "plankton".
How do you pronounce "plankton"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "plankton" is /ˈplæŋ(k).tən/. 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 "plankton"?
Borrowed from German Plankton, coined by German zoologist and marine biologist Victor Hensen. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek πλαγκτός (planktós, “drifter”) + -on. Ultimately from Ancient Greek πλαγκτόν (planktón, “drifting”), neuter nominative... 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 "plankton", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pastries#27,241overcast#27,237redacted#27,264renovate#27,267

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

parochial13 variantsScranton13 variantsmelodrama13 variantssplendor13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list