precise

/pɹɪˈsaɪs/

//pɹɪˈsaɪs// adj

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

"precise" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“precise” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,825. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,825
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Both exact and accurate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-precise · precise · English

precise · rank #5,825 · 10 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,825
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH playoff

Nearest frequency peer: playoff (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “precise”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “precise” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

precise vs promise
71% similar
precise vs premise
86% similar
precise vs preside
71% similar

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

Key facts for precise
PropertyValue
Headwordprecise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɹɪˈsaɪs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,825
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “precise” 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). precise lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around precise (IPA /pɹɪˈsaɪs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,825 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for precise, with forms such as "percise", "pprecise", and "prceise". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "promise", "premise", "preside", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French précis, from Latin praecīsus, perfect passive participle of praecīdere, from prae- (“before, in front”) + caedere (“cut; strike”), cognate with hit. Related to incise. Doublet of précis. The correct English form is precise, spelled P-R-E-C-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Both exact and accurate.
  2. 2
    Consistent, clustered close together, agreeing with each other (this does not mean that they cluster near the true, correct, or accurate value).
  3. 3
    Adhering too much to rules; prim or punctilious.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. precise definition
  2. highly precise

Etymology

From Middle French précis, from Latin praecīsus, perfect passive participle of praecīdere, from prae- (“before, in front”) + caedere (“cut; strike”), cognate with hit. Related to incise. Doublet of précis.

This word in other languages

preciso(Español)précis(Français)präzise(Deutsch)preciso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • percise
  • pprecise
  • prceise
  • preccise
  • precies
  • precisse
  • precsie
  • preicse
  • prrecise
  • rpecise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

percise2pprecise1prceise2preccise1precies2precisse1precsie2preicse2
Edit distance from "precise"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "precise"?
"precise" is spelled P-R-E-C-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˈsaɪs/.
What does "precise" mean?
As an adjective, "precise" means: Both exact and accurate.
What words are commonly confused with "precise"?
"precise" is commonly confused with "promise", "premise", "preside". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "precise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "precise" is /pɹɪˈsaɪs/. 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 "precise"?
From Middle French précis, from Latin praecīsus, perfect passive participle of praecīdere, from prae- (“before, in front”) + caedere (“cut; strike”), cognate with hit. Related to incise. Doublet of précis. 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 "precise", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

playoff#5,824retreat#5,833miracle#5,813skilled#5,841

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Murphy10 variantssexually10 variantssurgeon10 variantsgoodness10 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "precise". Here's where to go from here.

  • "precise" maps to 8 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "promise". View pair
  • 10 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,825 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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