precipice
/ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/
"precipice" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“precipice” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,038 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #39,038
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A very steep cliff.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | precipice |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #39,038 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “precipice” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for precipice is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,038 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A very steep cliff.
- 2The brink of a dangerous situation.
- 3A headlong fall or descent.
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”).
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "precipice" mean?
What are common misspellings of "precipice"?
How do you pronounce "precipice"?
What is the origin of the word "precipice"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “precipice”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-C-I-P-I-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/ (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
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.