precinct

/ˈpɹisɪŋkt/

//ˈpɹisɪŋkt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“precinct” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,835. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,835
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An enclosed space having defined limits, normally marked by walls.

Corpus desk

Index EN-precinct · precinct · English

precinct · rank #12,835 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #12,835
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH premiership

Nearest frequency peer: premiership (+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 “precinct”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “precinct” 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).

precinct vs predict
75% similar

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

Key facts for precinct
PropertyValue
Headwordprecinct
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹisɪŋkt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,835
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “precinct”

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).precinctlands 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 “premiership” (#12,836), “possesses” (#12,833), “PLC” (#12,832). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “precinct” is #12,835. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around precinct (IPA /ˈpɹisɪŋkt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,835 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for precinct, with forms such as "percinct", "pprecinct", and "prceinct". 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, "predict", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English precinct, precincte, early 15th century, in sense of “district for government purposes”, from Medieval Latin precinctum, alternative form of praecinctum (“enclosure, boundary line”), neuter singular of praecinctus, perfect passive partic… The correct English form is precinct, spelled P-R-E-C-I-N-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An enclosed space having defined limits, normally marked by walls.
  2. 2
    The general area surrounding a place, environs.
  3. 3
    A pedestrianized and uncovered shopping area.
  4. 4
    A subdivision of a city under the jurisdiction of a specific group of police; the police station situated in that district.
  5. 5
    A subdivision of a city or other locality for the purposes of voting and representation in local government. In cities, precincts may be grouped into wards.
  6. 6
    A district over which someone or some body of people has control in general; province, sphere of control.
  7. 7
    A surrounding boundary or limit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For, by the fundamental Laws of the Realm, it is Capital in any Perſon, of what Quality ſoever, to make water within the Precincts of the Palace.
  2. But ſince I loue to liue at libertie, As eaſily may you get the Souldans crowne, As any prizes out of my precinct.

Etymology

From Middle English precinct, precincte, early 15th century, in sense of “district for government purposes”, from Medieval Latin precinctum, alternative form of praecinctum (“enclosure, boundary line”), neuter singular of praecinctus, perfect passive participle of Latin praecingō (“surround, gird”), from prae (“before”) + cingō (“surround, encircle”), from which also cinch. Cognate to Italian precingere (“to encircle”).

This word in other languages

recinto(Español)enceinte(Français)Fußgängerzone(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • percinct
  • pprecinct
  • prceinct
  • preccinct
  • precicnt
  • precincct
  • precinctt
  • precinnct
  • precintc
  • precnict
  • preicnct
  • prrecinct
  • rpecinct

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

percinct2pprecinct1prceinct2preccinct1precicnt2precincct1precinctt1precinnct1
Edit distance from "precinct"

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 "precinct"?
"precinct" is spelled P-R-E-C-I-N-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹisɪŋkt/.
What does "precinct" mean?
As a noun, "precinct" means: An enclosed space having defined limits, normally marked by walls.
What words are commonly confused with "precinct"?
"precinct" is commonly confused with "predict". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "precinct"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "precinct" is /ˈpɹisɪŋkt/. 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 "precinct"?
From Middle English precinct, precincte, early 15th century, in sense of “district for government purposes”, from Medieval Latin precinctum, alternative form of praecinctum (“enclosure, boundary line”), neuter singular of praecinctus, perfect pass... 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 "precinct", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

playlist#12,831reformed#12,842pavement#12,824paradigm#12,823

Similar misspelling depth

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

perpetual13 variantssimulator13 variantsirritating13 variantsthrilling13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list