receptacle

/ɹɪˈsɛp.tə.kl̩/

//ɹɪˈsɛp.tə.kl̩// noun

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

"receptacle" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“receptacle” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,253. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,253
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A container.

Corpus desk

Index EN-receptacle · receptacle · English

receptacle · rank #34,253 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,253
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH realignment

Nearest frequency peer: realignment (-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 “receptacle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “receptacle” 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 receptacle
PropertyValue
Headwordreceptacle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈsɛp.tə.kl̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#34,253
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “receptacle”

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).receptaclelands 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 “realignment” (#34,252), “regatta” (#34,254), “rattlesnake” (#34,251). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “receptacle” is #34,253. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around receptacle (IPA /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə.kl̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,253 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for receptacle, with forms such as "erceptacle", "rceeptacle", and "recceptacle". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English receptacle, from Anglo-Norman receptacle and Middle French receptacle (“organ containing a fluid; gathering place; water basin”) (modern French réceptacle), from Latin receptāculum (“animal enclosure, container, place of refuge, receptac… The correct English form is receptacle, spelled R-E-C-E-P-T-A-C-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A container.
  2. 2
    The part of the flower stalk (peduncle or pedicel) to which the floral parts are attached; a thalamus, a torus.
  3. 3
    The part of the flower stalk (peduncle or pedicel) to which the floral parts are attached; a thalamus, a torus.
  4. 4
    A structure at the end of a branch of an alga containing conceptacles (reproductive organs).
  5. 5
    An organ that receives and holds a secretion.
  6. 6
    A contact device installed at an outlet for the connection of an attachment plug (typically by receiving the plug's prongs) to supply portable appliances or equipment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “Divine receptacle of excellence, let it not be deemed impertinent, or deviating from the rules of propriety, if I propound one queſtion which now labours in my breaſt; aſſuring me firſt, you will not let the ſceptre of true judgment depart from your right hand.”
  2. Darkness had no effect upon my fancy; and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life, which, from being the seat of beauty and strength, had become food for the worm.

Etymology

From Middle English receptacle, from Anglo-Norman receptacle and Middle French receptacle (“organ containing a fluid; gathering place; water basin”) (modern French réceptacle), from Latin receptāculum (“animal enclosure, container, place of refuge, receptacle, repository, reservoir, shelter”), from receptāre (“to harbour, to receive, to shelter”) or receptō (“I receive back or again, I recover”), frequentative of recipiō (“I receive; I hold back, I reserve”) (from re- (“back, again”) + capiō (“I hold”)) + -culum (suffix forming nouns from verbs, particularly nouns representing tools and instruments); cognate with Italian recettaculo, ricettaculo, Portuguese receptáculo, Spanish receptáculo.

Synonyms

thalamustorussocket

This word in other languages

recipiente(Español)réceptacle(Français)Gefäß(Deutsch)recipiente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erceptacle
  • rceeptacle
  • recceptacle
  • recepatcle
  • recepptacle
  • receptaccle
  • receptacel
  • receptaclle
  • receptalce
  • receptcale
  • recepttacle
  • recetpacle
  • recpetacle
  • reecptacle
  • rreceptacle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erceptacle2rceeptacle2recceptacle1recepatcle2recepptacle1receptaccle1receptacel2receptaclle1
Edit distance from "receptacle"

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 "receptacle"?
"receptacle" is spelled R-E-C-E-P-T-A-C-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə.kl̩/.
What does "receptacle" mean?
As a noun, "receptacle" means: A container.
What are common misspellings of "receptacle"?
Common misspellings include "erceptacle", "rceeptacle", "recceptacle", "recepatcle", "recepptacle". The correct spelling is "receptacle".
How do you pronounce "receptacle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "receptacle" is /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə.kl̩/. 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 "receptacle"?
From Middle English receptacle, from Anglo-Norman receptacle and Middle French receptacle (“organ containing a fluid; gathering place; water basin”) (modern French réceptacle), from Latin receptāculum (“animal enclosure, container, place of refuge... 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 "receptacle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

revitalize#34,265searchable#34,276perversion#34,223pernicious#34,222

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

rattlesnake15 variantssubsystem15 variantsmetastasis15 variantstrickster15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list