precocity

/pɹəˈkɒsɪti/

//pɹəˈkɒsɪti// noun

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

The verdict

“precocity” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being precocious.

Corpus desk

Index EN-precocity · precocity · English

precocity · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for precocity
PropertyValue
Headwordprecocity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹəˈkɒsɪti/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “precocity” in English

precocityfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

precocity is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /pɹəˈkɒsɪti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The state of being precocious.".

precocity doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French précocité. The correct English form is precocity, spelled P-R-E-C-O-C-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being precocious.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1817 William Wirt, Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry, New York: M'elrath, Bangs & Co., 1834, Section I, pp. 23-4, https://books.google.ca/books?id=5vE5AAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false I cannot learn that he gave in his youth, any evidence of that precocity which sometimes distinguishes uncommon genius.
  2. By the side of many tall and bouncing young ladies in the establishment, Rebecca Sharp looked like a child. But she had the dismal precocity of poverty.

Etymology

From French précocité.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "precocity"?
"precocity" is spelled P-R-E-C-O-C-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹəˈkɒsɪti/.
What does "precocity" mean?
As a noun, "precocity" means: The state of being precocious.
How do you pronounce "precocity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "precocity" is /pɹəˈkɒsɪti/. 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 "precocity"?
From French précocité. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list