# reckless

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈɹɛkləs/ · frequency rank #9,388

## Definitions
1. Careless or heedless; headstrong or rash.
2. Indifferent or oblivious to danger or the consequences thereof.

## Etymology
From Middle English rekles, reckeles, rekkeles, (also recheles), from Old English rēcelēas (“reckless, careless, negligent”), equivalent to reck + -less. Cognate with West Frisian roekeleas (“reckless”), Dutch roekeloos (“reckless”), German Low German ruuklos (“careless”), German ruchlos (“careless, notorious”).

## Easily confused with
- **restless** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reckless-vs-restless)
- **recklessly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reckless-vs-recklessly)
- **recess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recess-vs-reckless)

## Common misspellings (11)
`erckless`, `rcekless`, `recckless`, `reckelss`, `reckkless`, `reckles`, `recklless`, `recklses`, `reclkess`, `rekcless`, `rreckless`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/reckless