predator

/ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/

//ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“predator” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,089. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,089
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other nonplant organisms (their prey), primarily for food.

Corpus desk

Index EN-predator · predator · English

predator · rank #11,089 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,089
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH posing

Nearest frequency peer: posing (-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 “predator”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “predator” 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).

predator vs predatory
89% similar
predator vs predictor
78% similar
predator vs predate
75% similar

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

Key facts for predator
PropertyValue
Headwordpredator
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,089
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “predator”

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).predatorlands 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 “posing” (#11,088), “preferably” (#11,090), “pod” (#11,087). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “predator” is #11,089. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around predator (IPA /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,089 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for predator, with forms such as "perdator", "ppredator", and "prdeator". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "predatory", "predictor", "predate", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin praedātor, from praedor (“loot, pillage”), from praeda (“booty, spoils, prey”). The correct English form is predator, spelled P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other nonplant organisms (their prey), primarily for food.
  2. 2
    Someone who attacks and plunders for gain.
  3. 3
    A sexual predator.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Hives should be positioned, oriented and protected to avoid predators and ensure survival in the meliponary. A study (pers. obs.) of predators shows that the main culprits in a Malaysian meliponary are frogs and lizards.
  2. So if you're the only thing worth eating in the middle of the ocean, the predator that grabs you will probably have gotten there by a Levy walk.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praedātor, from praedor (“loot, pillage”), from praeda (“booty, spoils, prey”).

This word in other languages

predador(Español)prédateur(Français)Raubtier(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perdator
  • ppredator
  • prdeator
  • preadtor
  • predaotr
  • predatorr
  • predatro
  • predattor
  • preddator
  • predtaor
  • prredator
  • rpedator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

perdator2ppredator1prdeator2preadtor2predaotr2predatorr1predatro2predattor1
Edit distance from "predator"

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 "predator"?
"predator" is spelled P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/.
What does "predator" mean?
As a noun, "predator" means: Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other nonplant organisms (their prey), primarily for food.
What words are commonly confused with "predator"?
"predator" is commonly confused with "predatory", "predictor", "predate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "predator"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "predator" is /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/. 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 "predator"?
Borrowed from Latin praedātor, from praedor (“loot, pillage”), from praeda (“booty, spoils, prey”). 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 "predator", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

prophecy#11,093outdoors#11,083recorder#11,096marginal#11,069

Similar misspelling depth

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

recurring12 variantsscripts12 variantsseverity12 variantsinfrared12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list