podcast

/ˈpɒdˌkɑːst/

//ˈpɒdˌkɑːst// noun

"podcast" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“podcast” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,615. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,615
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on computers or portable devices such as mo...

Corpus desk

Index EN-podcast · podcast · English

podcast · rank #5,615 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,615
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH par

Nearest frequency peer: par (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “podcast”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “podcast” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

podcast vs podcasts
88% similar

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

Key facts for podcast
PropertyValue
Headwordpodcast
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɒdˌkɑːst/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,615
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “podcast” 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).podcastlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “par” (#5,614), “portfolio” (#5,616), “Norway” (#5,613). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around podcast (IPA /ˈpɒdˌkɑːst/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,615 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for podcast, with forms such as "opdcast", "pdocast", and "pocdast". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "podcasts", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree ▲ Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Italic *ənter Latin inter Latin inter-bor. English inter- Proto-Indo-European *neHd- Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Germanic… The correct English form is podcast, spelled P-O-D-C-A-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on computers or portable devices such as mobile phones.
  2. 2
    An individual episode of such a program.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There's no restriction for what a podcast should and should not be. Of course, if you cover all these topics and more, you may find it harder to find an audience than if you focus on a narrower range and cover it well. Finding listeners is simpler if your podcast can be summarized in a sentence. More people will sample your show if it fits in a category i…
  2. Try listening to a mix of well-known podcasts. You'll soon find that the best always feature hosts that have their own unique voice.

Etymology

Etymology tree ▲ Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Italic *ənter Latin inter Latin inter-bor. English inter- Proto-Indo-European *neHd- Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Germanic *natją Proto-West Germanic *nati Old English nett Middle English net English net Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom Proto-Germanic *werką Proto-West Germanic *werk Old English weorc Middle English werk English work English network English internetwork English Internet English i- English pod English iPod Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-der.? Proto-Germanic *braidaz Proto-West Germanic *braid Old English brād Middle English brod English broad Proto-Germanic *kas- Proto-Germanic *kastōną Old Norse kastabor. Middle English casten English cast English broadcast blend English podcast Blend of iPod (“portable music player made by Apple”) + broadcast, probably coined by the British technologist and broadcaster Ben Hammersley (born 1976) who proposed the word podcasting in 2004.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opdcast
  • pdocast
  • pocdast
  • podacst
  • podcasst
  • podcastt
  • podcats
  • podccast
  • podcsat
  • poddcast
  • ppodcast

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opdcast2pdocast2pocdast2podacst2podcasst1podcastt1podcats2podccast1
Edit distance from "podcast"

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 "podcast"?
"podcast" is spelled P-O-D-C-A-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɒdˌkɑːst/.
What does "podcast" mean?
As a noun, "podcast" means: A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on computers or portable devices such as mo...
What words are commonly confused with "podcast"?
"podcast" is commonly confused with "podcasts". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "podcast"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "podcast" is /ˈpɒdˌkɑːst/. 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 "podcast"?
Etymology tree ▲ Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Italic *ənter Latin inter Latin inter-bor. English inter- Proto-Indo-European *neHd- Proto-Indo-European *-yós Prot... 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 "podcast", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "podcast". Here's where to go from here.

  • This headword has one recorded confusable pair with "podcasts". View pair
  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,615 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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