plebiscite

/ˈplɛbɪsaɪt/

//ˈplɛbɪsaɪt// noun

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

"plebiscite" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“plebiscite” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,031. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,031
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A direct popular vote on an issue of public importance, such as an amendment to the constitution, a change in the sovereignty of the nation, or some government policy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-plebiscite · plebiscite · English

plebiscite · rank #39,031 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,031
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH planing

Nearest frequency peer: planing (-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 “plebiscite”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “plebiscite” 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 plebiscite
PropertyValue
Headwordplebiscite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈplɛbɪsaɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#39,031
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “plebiscite”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).plebiscitelands 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 “planing” (#39,030), “pistachio” (#39,029), “Poisson” (#39,033). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “plebiscite” is #39,031. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around plebiscite (IPA /ˈplɛbɪsaɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,031 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for plebiscite, with forms such as "lpebiscite", "pelbiscite", and "plbeiscite". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Sense 1 (“referendum”) is borrowed from French plébiscite, from Latin plēbiscītum, plēbis scītum, plēbī scītum (“law of the common people or plebs”), from plēbis (the genitive singular of plēbs (“common people, plebeians”)) + scītum (“decree, ordinance, sta… The correct English form is plebiscite, spelled P-L-E-B-I-S-C-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A direct popular vote on an issue of public importance, such as an amendment to the constitution, a change in the sovereignty of the nation, or some government policy.
  2. 2
    An expression of the public's views on an issue, whether legally binding or not.
  3. 3
    Synonym of plebiscitum (“a law enacted by the common people, under the superintendence of a tribune or some subordinate plebeian magistrate, without the intervention of the senate”).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A political result, we may also say aim, of the frumentarian plebiscite of Gaius was to disattach the city populace from its conservative moorings and to enlist it in the service of reform.
  2. Then something changed, and Mr. Mitterrand said he thought it would be a good idea if the Constitution allowed plebiscites, on the recommendation of the President, on issues involving personal freedoms.

Etymology

Sense 1 (“referendum”) is borrowed from French plébiscite, from Latin plēbiscītum, plēbis scītum, plēbī scītum (“law of the common people or plebs”), from plēbis (the genitive singular of plēbs (“common people, plebeians”)) + scītum (“decree, ordinance, statute”). Sense 3 (“law enacted by the common people”) is a learned borrowing from Latin plēbiscītum: see above. It is attested earlier than English plebiscitum. Cognates * Italian plebiscito * Middle French plebiscite (modern French plébiscite) * Middle Low German plebiscīt (“ordinance”) * Spanish plebiscito, plebisçito (obsolete)

This word in other languages

plebiscito(Español)plébiscite(Français)Plebiszit(Deutsch)plebiscito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lpebiscite
  • pelbiscite
  • plbeiscite
  • plebbiscite
  • plebicsite
  • plebisccite
  • plebisciet
  • plebiscitte
  • plebisctie
  • plebisicte
  • plebisscite
  • plebsicite
  • pleibscite
  • pllebiscite
  • pplebiscite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lpebiscite2pelbiscite2plbeiscite2plebbiscite1plebicsite2plebisccite1plebisciet2plebiscitte1
Edit distance from "plebiscite"

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 "plebiscite"?
"plebiscite" is spelled P-L-E-B-I-S-C-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈplɛbɪsaɪt/.
What does "plebiscite" mean?
As a noun, "plebiscite" means: A direct popular vote on an issue of public importance, such as an amendment to the constitution, a change in the sovereignty of the nation, or some government policy.
What are common misspellings of "plebiscite"?
Common misspellings include "lpebiscite", "pelbiscite", "plbeiscite", "plebbiscite", "plebicsite". The correct spelling is "plebiscite".
How do you pronounce "plebiscite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "plebiscite" is /ˈplɛbɪsaɪt/. 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 "plebiscite"?
Sense 1 (“referendum”) is borrowed from French plébiscite, from Latin plēbiscītum, plēbis scītum, plēbī scītum (“law of the common people or plebs”), from plēbis (the genitive singular of plēbs (“common people, plebeians”)) + scītum (“decree, ordi... 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 "plebiscite", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

personhood#39,026permanence#39,024riverfront#39,065salamander#39,072

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

rearranging15 variantsscrutinize15 variantsmountaineer15 variantsmesmerized15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list