predicament

/pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt/

//pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt// noun

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

"predicament" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“predicament” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,189. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,189
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A definite class, state or condition.

Corpus desk

Index EN-predicament · predicament · English

predicament · rank #20,189 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,189
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH postgraduate

Nearest frequency peer: postgraduate (-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 “predicament”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “predicament” 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
Key facts for predicament
PropertyValue
Headwordpredicament
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#20,189
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “predicament”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).predicamentlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “postgraduate” (#20,188), “predominant” (#20,190), “prem” (#20,191). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “predicament” is #20,189. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around predicament (IPA /pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,189 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for predicament, with forms such as "perdicament", "ppredicament", and "prdeicament". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. 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: From Middle English predicament, from Old French predicament, from Late Latin praedicāmentum (“that which is predicated, a predicament, category”). The correct English form is predicament, spelled P-R-E-D-I-C-A-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A definite class, state or condition.
  2. 2
    An unfortunate or trying position or condition.
  3. 3
    That which is predicated; a category.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Culture, for me, is the effort to provide a coherent set of answers to the existential predicaments that confront all human beings in the passage of their life.
  2. The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men.

Etymology

From Middle English predicament, from Old French predicament, from Late Latin praedicāmentum (“that which is predicated, a predicament, category”).

Synonyms

plight

This word in other languages

predicamento(Español)catégorie(Français)Kategorie(Deutsch)apuro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perdicament
  • ppredicament
  • prdeicament
  • predciament
  • preddicament
  • prediacment
  • predicaemnt
  • predicamennt
  • predicamentt
  • predicametn
  • predicamment
  • predicamnet
  • prediccament
  • predicmaent
  • preidcament
  • prredicament
  • rpedicament

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

perdicament2ppredicament1prdeicament2predciament2preddicament1prediacment2predicaemnt2predicamennt1
Edit distance from "predicament"

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 "predicament"?
"predicament" is spelled P-R-E-D-I-C-A-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt/.
What does "predicament" mean?
As a noun, "predicament" means: A definite class, state or condition.
What are common misspellings of "predicament"?
Common misspellings include "perdicament", "ppredicament", "prdeicament", "predciament", "preddicament". The correct spelling is "predicament".
How do you pronounce "predicament"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "predicament" is /pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt/. 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 "predicament"?
From Middle English predicament, from Old French predicament, from Late Latin praedicāmentum (“that which is predicated, a predicament, category”). 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 "predicament", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

predominant#20,190objectively#20,174impractical#20,138suppressing#20,240

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

recollection17 variantsirreversible17 variantsinterrupting17 variantsgenerational17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list