receptor

/ɹɪˈsɛp.tə/

//ɹɪˈsɛp.tə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“receptor” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,806. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,806
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A protein on a cell wall that binds with specific molecules so that they can be absorbed into the cell in order to control certain functions.

Corpus desk

Index EN-receptor · receptor · English

receptor · rank #9,806 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,806
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH raven

Nearest frequency peer: raven (-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 “receptor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “receptor” 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).

receptor vs rector
75% similar
receptor vs reception
78% similar

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

Key facts for receptor
PropertyValue
Headwordreceptor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈsɛp.tə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,806
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “receptor”

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).receptorlands 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 “raven” (#9,805), “rehab” (#9,807), “rails” (#9,804). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “receptor” is #9,806. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around receptor (IPA /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,806 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for receptor, with forms such as "erceptor", "rceeptor", and "recceptor". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "rector", "reception", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English receptour, from Old French receptour or Latin receptōrius, from recipiō (“receive”), from re- (“back”) + capiō (“I hold”). The correct English form is receptor, spelled R-E-C-E-P-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A protein on a cell wall that binds with specific molecules so that they can be absorbed into the cell in order to control certain functions.
  2. 2
    Any specialized cell or structure that responds to sensory stimuli.
  3. 3
    One who receives something or someone; in particular, one who harbors a fugitive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the target organ, the drug is recognised by ‘receptors’. These are large molecules, usually proteins, to which the drug binds tightly and with a high degree of specificity.
  2. White blood cells of the immune system, the gut and the spleen also have another type of cannabinoid receptor, known as CB2.

Etymology

From Middle English receptour, from Old French receptour or Latin receptōrius, from recipiō (“receive”), from re- (“back”) + capiō (“I hold”).

This word in other languages

receptor(Español)récepteur(Français)Rezeptor(Deutsch)receptor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erceptor
  • rceeptor
  • recceptor
  • recepotr
  • recepptor
  • receptorr
  • receptro
  • recepttor
  • recetpor
  • recpetor
  • reecptor
  • rreceptor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erceptor2rceeptor2recceptor1recepotr2recepptor1receptorr1receptro2recepttor1
Edit distance from "receptor"

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 "receptor"?
"receptor" is spelled R-E-C-E-P-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə/.
What does "receptor" mean?
As a noun, "receptor" means: A protein on a cell wall that binds with specific molecules so that they can be absorbed into the cell in order to control certain functions.
What words are commonly confused with "receptor"?
"receptor" is commonly confused with "rector", "reception". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "receptor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "receptor" is /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə/. 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 "receptor"?
From Middle English receptour, from Old French receptour or Latin receptōrius, from recipiō (“receive”), from re- (“back”) + capiō (“I hold”). 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 "receptor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

probable#9,799starving#9,824surround#9,827sweeping#9,829

Similar misspelling depth

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

oppression12 variantsmechanic12 variantsavengers12 variantscommenced12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list