precipice

/ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/

//ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs// noun

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

"precipice" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“precipice” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,038. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,038
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A very steep cliff.

Corpus desk

Index EN-precipice · precipice · English

precipice · rank #39,038 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,038
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Poughkeepsie

Nearest frequency peer: Poughkeepsie (-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 “precipice”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “precipice” 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
Key facts for precipice
PropertyValue
Headwordprecipice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#39,038
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “precipice”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).precipicelands 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 “Poughkeepsie” (#39,037), “posit” (#39,036), “protégé” (#39,040). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “precipice” is #39,038. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around precipice (IPA /ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,038 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for precipice, with forms such as "percipice", "pprecipice", and "prceipice". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1598, from Middle French precipice, from Latin praecipitium (“a steep place”), from praeceps (“steep”), from prae + caput (“head”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“head”). Distantly related to precept through Latin praecipiō (“… The correct English form is precipice, spelled P-R-E-C-I-P-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A very steep cliff.
  2. 2
    The brink of a dangerous situation.
  3. 3
    A headlong fall or descent.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I resolved to remove my tent from the place where it stood, which was just under the hanging precipice of the hill; and which, if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent[…]
  2. to stand on a precipice

Etymology

First attested in 1598, from Middle French precipice, from Latin praecipitium (“a steep place”), from praeceps (“steep”), from prae + caput (“head”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“head”). Distantly related to precept through Latin praecipiō (“to teach”), from prae + capiō (“take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-, *keh₂p- (“to hold; to seize”).

Synonyms

cliffcliffdrop

This word in other languages

precipicio(Español)précipice(Français)Abgrund(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • percipice
  • pprecipice
  • prceipice
  • preccipice
  • preciipce
  • precipcie
  • precipicce
  • precipiec
  • precippice
  • precpiice
  • preicpice
  • prrecipice
  • rpecipice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of precipice - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

percipice2pprecipice1prceipice2preccipice1preciipce2precipcie2precipicce1precipiec2
Edit distance from "precipice"

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 "precipice"?
"precipice" is spelled P-R-E-C-I-P-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/.
What does "precipice" mean?
As a noun, "precipice" means: A very steep cliff.
What are common misspellings of "precipice"?
Common misspellings include "percipice", "pprecipice", "prceipice", "preccipice", "preciipce". The correct spelling is "precipice".
How do you pronounce "precipice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "precipice" is /ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/. 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 "precipice"?
First attested in 1598, from Middle French precipice, from Latin praecipitium (“a steep place”), from praeceps (“steep”), from prae + caput (“head”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“head”). Distantly related to precept through Latin pr... 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 "precipice", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Polynesia#39,034pistachio#39,029permeable#39,025reclusive#39,052

Similar misspelling depth

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

outlander13 variantsRumsfeld13 variantsStrachan13 variantssuckling13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list