postcard

/ˈpoʊstˌkɑɹd/

//ˈpoʊstˌkɑɹd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“postcard” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,305. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,305
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically used for sending messages by mail without the need for an envelope.

Corpus desk

Index EN-postcard · postcard · English

postcard · rank #16,305 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #16,305
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH plugged

Nearest frequency peer: plugged (-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 “postcard”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “postcard” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

postcard vs postwar
75% similar

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

Key facts for postcard
PropertyValue
Headwordpostcard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpoʊstˌkɑɹd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#16,305
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “postcard”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).postcardlands 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 “plugged” (#16,304), “POW” (#16,306), “powerhouse” (#16,307). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “postcard” is #16,305. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around postcard (IPA /ˈpoʊstˌkɑɹd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,305 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically used for sending messages by mail without the need for an envelope.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for postcard, with forms such as "opstcard", "posctard", and "posstcard". 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, "postwar", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From post + card. The correct English form is postcard, spelled P-O-S-T-C-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically used for sending messages by mail without the need for an envelope.

Etymology

From post + card.

This word in other languages

postal(Español)carte postale(Français)Postkarte(Deutsch)postal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opstcard
  • posctard
  • posstcard
  • postacrd
  • postcadr
  • postcardd
  • postcarrd
  • postccard
  • postcrad
  • posttcard
  • potscard
  • ppostcard
  • psotcard

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opstcard2posctard2posstcard1postacrd2postcadr2postcardd1postcarrd1postccard1
Edit distance from "postcard"

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 "postcard"?
"postcard" is spelled P-O-S-T-C-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpoʊstˌkɑɹd/.
What does "postcard" mean?
As a noun, "postcard" means: A rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically used for sending messages by mail without the need for an envelope.
What words are commonly confused with "postcard"?
"postcard" is commonly confused with "postwar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "postcard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "postcard" is /ˈpoʊstˌkɑɹd/. 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 "postcard"?
From post + card. 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 "postcard", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

relocate#16,322mythical#16,280lemonade#16,271lavender#16,270

Similar misspelling depth

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

rhythms13 variantsNathaniel13 variantsscrewing13 variantssectional13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list