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receptor

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

8 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "receptor", 8-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "receptor" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "receptor" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

receptor is aEnglishnoun. It 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. Pronounced /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə/. It ranks #9,806 in English word frequency. Often confused with rector and reception.

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 rank visualization

Position of receptor in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for receptor is 8 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈsɛp.tə/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,806 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text.Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 12 documented wrong-spelling variants for receptor, with forms such as "erceptor", "rceeptor", and "recceptor". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.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”). Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is receptor, spelled R-E-C-E-P-T-O-R, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

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.

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

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erceptor,rceeptor,recceptor,recepotr,recepptor,receptorr,receptro,recepttor,recetpor,recpetor,reecptor,rreceptor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for receptor

Misspelling Variants of "receptor"

erceptor8rceeptor8recceptor9recepotr8recepptor9receptorr9receptro8recepttor9
Misspelling Variants of "receptor"

Frequency rank: #9,806 in English

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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter R in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.