precarious

/pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/

//pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“precarious” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,463. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,463
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous.

Corpus desk

Index EN-precarious · precarious · English

precarious · rank #20,463 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,463
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH potency

Nearest frequency peer: potency (-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 “precarious”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “precarious” 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).

precarious vs precious
80% similar
precarious vs precocious
80% similar

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

Key facts for precarious
PropertyValue
Headwordprecarious
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#20,463
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “precarious”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).precariouslands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “potency” (#20,462), “Presley” (#20,464), “polio” (#20,461). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “precarious” is #20,463. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around precarious (IPA /pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #20,463 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for precarious, with forms such as "percarious", "pprecarious", and "prcearious". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "precious", "precocious", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin precārius (“begged for, obtained by entreaty”), from prex, precis (“prayer”). Compare French précaire, Portuguese precário, and Spanish and Italian precario. The correct English form is precarious, spelled P-R-E-C-A-R-I-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous.
  2. 2
    Depending on the intention of another.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.
  2. Never had he been so fond of this body of his as now when his tenure of it was so precarious.

Etymology

From Latin precārius (“begged for, obtained by entreaty”), from prex, precis (“prayer”). Compare French précaire, Portuguese precário, and Spanish and Italian precario.

This word in other languages

precario(Español)précaire(Français)heikel(Deutsch)precário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • percarious
  • pprecarious
  • prcearious
  • preacrious
  • precairous
  • precariosu
  • precariouss
  • precariuos
  • precaroius
  • precarrious
  • preccarious
  • precraious
  • prrecarious
  • rpecarious

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

percarious2pprecarious1prcearious2preacrious2precairous2precariosu2precariouss1precariuos2
Edit distance from "precarious"

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 "precarious"?
"precarious" is spelled P-R-E-C-A-R-I-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/.
What does "precarious" mean?
As an adjective, "precarious" means: Dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous.
What words are commonly confused with "precarious"?
"precarious" is commonly confused with "precious", "precocious". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "precarious"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "precarious" is /pɹɪˈkɛəɹi.əs/. 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 "precarious"?
From Latin precārius (“begged for, obtained by entreaty”), from prex, precis (“prayer”). Compare French précaire, Portuguese precário, and Spanish and Italian precario. 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 "precarious", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

retreating#20,478minimizing#20,429straighten#20,508transverse#20,520

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

numbering14 variantsSanderson14 variantsnervously14 variantsunlocking14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list