recall

/ɹɪˈkɔːl/

//ɹɪˈkɔːl// verb

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

"recall" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“recall” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,650. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,650
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To withdraw, retract (one's words etc.); to revoke (an order).

Corpus desk

Index EN-recall · recall · English

recall · rank #3,650 · 7 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,650
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH printed

Nearest frequency peer: printed (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “recall”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “recall” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

recall vs recap
67% similar
recall vs renal
67% similar
recall vs regal
67% similar

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

Key facts for recall
PropertyValue
Headwordrecall
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈkɔːl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,650
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “recall” 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).recalllands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “printed” (#3,649), “rugby” (#3,651), “pray” (#3,648). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around recall (IPA /ɹɪˈkɔːl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #3,650 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for recall, with forms such as "ercall", "rceall", and "reacll". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "recap", "renal", "regal", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + call, probably modelled on Latin revocāre, French rappeler, English withcall. The correct English form is recall, spelled R-E-C-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To withdraw, retract (one's words etc.); to revoke (an order).
  2. 2
    To call back, bring back, or summon (someone) to a specific place, station, etc.
  3. 3
    To remove an elected official through a petition and direct vote.
  4. 4
    To bring back (someone) to or from a particular mental or physical state, activity etc.
  5. 5
    To call back (a situation, event, etc.) to one's mind; to remember; to recollect.
  6. 6
    To hearken back to, evoke; to be reminiscent of.
  7. 7
    To call again; to call another time.
  8. 8
    To request or order the return of (a faulty product).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He was recalled to service after his retirement.
  2. She was recalled to London for the trial.

Etymology

From re- + call, probably modelled on Latin revocāre, French rappeler, English withcall.

This word in other languages

recordar(Español)rappeler(Français)zurückrufen(Deutsch)lembrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ercall
  • rceall
  • reacll
  • recal
  • reccall
  • reclal
  • rrecall

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recall - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ercall2rceall2reacll2recal1reccall1reclal2rrecall1
Edit distance from "recall"

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 "recall"?
"recall" is spelled R-E-C-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈkɔːl/.
What does "recall" mean?
As a verb, "recall" means: To withdraw, retract (one's words etc.); to revoke (an order).
What words are commonly confused with "recall"?
"recall" is commonly confused with "recap", "renal", "regal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recall"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recall" is /ɹɪˈkɔːl/. 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 "recall"?
From re- + call, probably modelled on Latin revocāre, French rappeler, English withcall. 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 "recall", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

poetry#3,646smooth#3,655string#3,658obtain#3,641

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

sheet7 variantssudden7 variantsnurse7 variantsSyria7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "recall". Here's where to go from here.

  • "recall" maps to 14 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "recap". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #3,650 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "R" letter cohort. R–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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