preclude

/pɹɪˈkluːd/

//pɹɪˈkluːd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“preclude” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,971. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,971
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To remove the possibility of; to rule out; to prevent or exclude; to render impossible.

Corpus desk

Index EN-preclude · preclude · English

preclude · rank #27,971 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,971
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH preorder

Nearest frequency peer: preorder (+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 “preclude”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “preclude” 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).

preclude vs prelude
88% similar
preclude vs precede
75% similar

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

Key facts for preclude
PropertyValue
Headwordpreclude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹɪˈkluːd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#27,971
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “preclude”

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).precludelands 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 “preorder” (#27,972), “postponement” (#27,969), “Pornhub” (#27,968). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “preclude” is #27,971. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around preclude (IPA /pɹɪˈkluːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #27,971 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To remove the possibility of; to rule out; to prevent or exclude; to render impossible.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for preclude, with forms such as "perclude", "ppreclude", and "prcelude". 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, "prelude", "precede", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin praeclūdere. The correct English form is preclude, spelled P-R-E-C-L-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To remove the possibility of; to rule out; to prevent or exclude; to render impossible.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It has been raining for days, but that doesn’t preclude the skies clearing by this afternoon!
  2. "Now, own the truth,—are you not very sorry that my having been in the opposition precludes your going to the most brilliant fête of the season?"

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin praeclūdere.

This word in other languages

descartar(Español)exclure(Français)ausschließen(Deutsch)excluir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perclude
  • ppreclude
  • prcelude
  • precclude
  • precldue
  • precllude
  • precludde
  • preclued
  • preculde
  • prelcude
  • prreclude
  • rpeclude

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of preclude - 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.

perclude2ppreclude1prcelude2precclude1precldue2precllude1precludde1preclued2
Edit distance from "preclude"

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 "preclude"?
"preclude" is spelled P-R-E-C-L-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˈkluːd/.
What does "preclude" mean?
As a verb, "preclude" means: To remove the possibility of; to rule out; to prevent or exclude; to render impossible.
What words are commonly confused with "preclude"?
"preclude" is commonly confused with "prelude", "precede". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "preclude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "preclude" is /pɹɪˈkluːd/. 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 "preclude"?
Learned borrowing from Latin praeclūdere. 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 "preclude", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

preorder#27,972pinching#27,966pheasant#27,961Osbourne#27,954

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

prickly12 variantspaintball12 variantsschooner12 variantsmanoeuvre12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list