recital

/ɹɪˈsaɪtl̩/

//ɹɪˈsaɪtl̩// noun

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

"recital" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“recital” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,199 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,199
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of reciting (the repetition of something that has been memorized); rehearsal

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

recital vs rental
71% similar
recital vs recite
71% similar
recital vs rectal
86% similar

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

Key facts for recital
PropertyValue
Headwordrecital
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈsaɪtl̩/
Letters7
Frequency rank#20,199
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “recital” 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). recital 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 recital is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈsaɪtl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,199 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for recital, with forms such as "ercital", "rceital", and "reccital". 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 also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "rental", "recite", "rectal", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From recite + -al. The correct English form is recital, spelled R-E-C-I-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of reciting (the repetition of something that has been memorized); rehearsal
  2. 2
    The act of telling the order of events of something in detail the order of events; narration.
  3. 3
    That which is recited; a story, narration, account.
  4. 4
    A vocal, instrumental or visual performance by a soloist.
  5. 5
    A formal, preliminary statement in a deed or writing in order to explain the reasons on which the transaction is founded, prior to a positive allegation.

Etymology

From recite + -al.

This word in other languages

recitación(Español)récital(Français)Vortrag(Deutsch)recitação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ercital,rceital,reccital,reciatl,recitall,recitla,recittal,rectial,reictal,rrecital

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ercital2rceital2reccital1reciatl2recitall1recitla2recittal1rectial2
Edit distance from "recital"

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 "recital"?
"recital" is spelled R-E-C-I-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈsaɪtl̩/.
What does "recital" mean?
As a noun, "recital" means: The act of reciting (the repetition of something that has been memorized); rehearsal
What words are commonly confused with "recital"?
"recital" is commonly confused with "rental", "recite", "rectal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recital"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recital" is /ɹɪˈsaɪtl̩/. 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 "recital"?
From recite + -al. 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 “recital”

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

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