precancerous

/pɹiˈkænsəɹəs/

//pɹiˈkænsəɹəs// adj

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

"precancerous" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“precancerous” is uncommon English (frequency #85,662 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,662
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or pertaining to growth that is likely to develop into cancer.

Key facts for precancerous
PropertyValue
Headwordprecancerous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɹiˈkænsəɹəs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#85,662
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “precancerous” 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). precancerous lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

precancerous is uncommon English at frequency #85,662 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /pɹiˈkænsəɹəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Of or pertaining to growth that is likely to develop into cancer.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for precancerous, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pre- + cancerous. The correct English form is precancerous, spelled P-R-E-C-A-N-C-E-R-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to growth that is likely to develop into cancer.

Etymology

From pre- + cancerous.

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 "precancerous"?
"precancerous" is spelled P-R-E-C-A-N-C-E-R-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹiˈkænsəɹəs/.
What does "precancerous" mean?
As an adjective, "precancerous" means: Of or pertaining to growth that is likely to develop into cancer.
How do you pronounce "precancerous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "precancerous" is /pɹiˈkænsəɹəs/. 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 "precancerous"?
From pre- + cancerous. 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 “precancerous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-C-A-N-C-E-R-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɹiˈkænsəɹəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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