reciprocity

/ˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti/

//ˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti// noun

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

"reciprocity" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reciprocity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,616 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,616
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The characteristic of being reciprocal, e.g. of a relationship between people.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reciprocity vs reciprocate
82% similar

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

Key facts for reciprocity
PropertyValue
Headwordreciprocity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti/
Letters11
Frequency rank#27,616
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reciprocity” 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). reciprocity 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 reciprocity is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,616 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for reciprocity, with forms such as "erciprocity", "rceiprocity", and "recciprocity". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "reciprocate", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French réciprocité. The correct English form is reciprocity, spelled R-E-C-I-P-R-O-C-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The characteristic of being reciprocal, e.g. of a relationship between people.
  2. 2
    A reciprocal relationship.
  3. 3
    A relation of mutual dependence or action or influence.
  4. 4
    A reciprocal construction involves two noun phrases where each of the participants occupies both the role of agent and patient with respect to the other. see: Wikipedia:Reciprocal pronoun.
  5. 5
    The mutual exchange of rights, privileges or obligations between nations. see: Wikipedia:Reciprocity (international relations).
  6. 6
    The responses of individuals to the actions of others.

Etymology

From French réciprocité.

This word in other languages

reciprocidad(Español)réciprocité(Français)Gegenseitigkeit(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erciprocity,rceiprocity,recciprocity,reciporcity,recipprocity,reciprcoity,reciproccity,reciprocitty,reciprocityy,reciprociyt,reciproctiy,reciproicty,reciprrocity,recirpocity,recpirocity,reicprocity,rreciprocity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erciprocity2rceiprocity2recciprocity1reciporcity2recipprocity1reciprcoity2reciproccity1reciprocitty1
Edit distance from "reciprocity"

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 "reciprocity"?
"reciprocity" is spelled R-E-C-I-P-R-O-C-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti/.
What does "reciprocity" mean?
As a noun, "reciprocity" means: The characteristic of being reciprocal, e.g. of a relationship between people.
What words are commonly confused with "reciprocity"?
"reciprocity" is commonly confused with "reciprocate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reciprocity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reciprocity" is /ˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti/. 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 "reciprocity"?
From French réciprocité. 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 “reciprocity”

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

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