recipe

/ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/

//ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“recipe” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,886 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,886
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A formula for preparing or using a medicine; a prescription; also, a medicine prepared from such instructions.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

recipe vs ripe
67% similar
recipe vs regime
67% similar
recipe vs retire
67% similar

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

Key facts for recipe
PropertyValue
Headwordrecipe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,886
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “recipe” 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). recipe 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 recipe is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,886 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for recipe, with forms such as "ercipe", "rceipe", and "reccipe". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "ripe", "regime", "retire", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French récipé, from Latin recipe, second person singular imperative of Latin recipiō (“receive”). Doublet of recept and receipt. The correct English form is recipe, spelled R-E-C-I-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A formula for preparing or using a medicine; a prescription; also, a medicine prepared from such instructions.
  2. 2
    Any set of instructions for preparing a mixture of ingredients.
  3. 3
    A plan or procedure to obtain a given end result; a prescription.
  4. 4
    Now especially, a set of instructions for making or preparing food dishes.
  5. 5
    A set of conditions and parameters of an industrial process to obtain a given result.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French récipé, from Latin recipe, second person singular imperative of Latin recipiō (“receive”). Doublet of recept and receipt.

Synonyms

receipt

This word in other languages

receta(Español)recette(Français)Rezept(Deutsch)receita(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ercipe,rceipe,reccipe,reciep,recippe,recpie,reicpe,rrecipe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recipe - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ercipe2rceipe2reccipe1reciep2recippe1recpie2reicpe2rrecipe1
Edit distance from "recipe"

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 "recipe"?
"recipe" is spelled R-E-C-I-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/.
What does "recipe" mean?
As a noun, "recipe" means: A formula for preparing or using a medicine; a prescription; also, a medicine prepared from such instructions.
What words are commonly confused with "recipe"?
"recipe" is commonly confused with "ripe", "regime", "retire". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recipe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recipe" is /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/. 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 "recipe"?
Borrowed from Middle French récipé, from Latin recipe, second person singular imperative of Latin recipiō (“receive”). Doublet of recept and receipt. 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 “recipe”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-C-I-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹɛs.ɪ.pi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ripe” - see the side-by-side comparison. recipe vs ripe
  • 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