radical

/ˈɹædɪkəl/

//ˈɹædɪkəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“radical” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,112 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,112
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

radical vs rascal
71% similar
radical vs radically
78% similar
radical vs racial
71% similar

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

Key facts for radical
PropertyValue
Headwordradical
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɹædɪkəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#4,112
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “radical” 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). radical lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for radical is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹædɪkəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,112 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for radical, with forms such as "ardical", "radcial", and "raddical". 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, "rascal", "radically", "racial", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *wréh₂ds Inherited from Middle English radical, from Latin rādīcālis (“of or pertaining to the root, having roots, radical”). Compare grassroots. The correct English form is radical, spelled R-A-D-I-C-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to a root (of a plant).
  3. 3
    Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.
  4. 4
    Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.
  5. 5
    Of or pertaining to the root of a word.
  6. 6
    Produced using the root of the tongue.
  7. 7
    Involving free radicals.
  8. 8
    Relating to a radix or mathematical root.
  9. 9
    Excellent; awesome.

Etymology

PIE word *wréh₂ds Inherited from Middle English radical, from Latin rādīcālis (“of or pertaining to the root, having roots, radical”). Compare grassroots.

Synonyms

primitiveJacobinJacobinicJacobinical

Antonyms

derivativederived

This word in other languages

radical(Français)radikal(Deutsch)radical(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ardical,radcial,raddical,radiacl,radicall,radiccal,radicla,raidcal,rdaical,rradical

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ardical2radcial2raddical1radiacl2radicall1radiccal1radicla2raidcal2
Edit distance from "radical"

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 "radical"?
"radical" is spelled R-A-D-I-C-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹædɪkəl/.
What does "radical" mean?
As an adjective, "radical" means: Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
What words are commonly confused with "radical"?
"radical" is commonly confused with "rascal", "radically", "racial". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "radical"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "radical" is /ˈɹædɪkəl/. 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 "radical"?
PIE word *wréh₂ds Inherited from Middle English radical, from Latin rādīcālis (“of or pertaining to the root, having roots, radical”). Compare grassroots. 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.

Using “radical”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-D-I-C-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹædɪkəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “rascal” - see the side-by-side comparison. radical vs rascal
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list