reckon

/ˈɹɛkən/

//ˈɹɛkən// verb

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

The verdict

“reckon” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,267. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,267
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To count; to enumerate; to number; also, to compute; to calculate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reckon · reckon · English

reckon · rank #10,267 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,267
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH recycling

Nearest frequency peer: recycling (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “reckon”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “reckon” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reckon vs recon
83% similar
reckon vs region
67% similar
reckon vs rector
67% similar

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

Key facts for reckon
PropertyValue
Headwordreckon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɹɛkən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,267
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reckon”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).reckonlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “recycling” (#10,268), “queer” (#10,265), “restriction” (#10,269). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reckon” is #10,267. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around reckon (IPA /ˈɹɛkən/), averb. Corpus frequency is #10,267 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for reckon, with forms such as "erckon", "rcekon", and "recckon". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "recon", "region", "rector", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rekenen, from Old English recenian (“to pay; arrange, dispose, reckon”) and ġerecenian (“to explain, recount, relate”); both from Proto-West Germanic *rekanōn (“to count, explain”), from Proto-West Germanic *rekan (“swift, ready, prompt”… The correct English form is reckon, spelled R-E-C-K-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To count; to enumerate; to number; also, to compute; to calculate.
  2. 2
    To count as in a number, rank, or series; to estimate by rank or quality; to place by estimation; to account; to esteem; to repute.
  3. 3
    To charge, attribute, or adjudge to one, as having a certain quality or value.
  4. 4
    To conclude, as by an enumeration and balancing of chances; hence, to think; to suppose; -- followed by an objective clause
  5. 5
    To reckon with something or somebody or not, i.e. to reckon without something or somebody: to take into account, deal with, consider or not, i.e. to misjudge, ignore, not take into account, not deal with, not consider or fail to consider; e.g. reckon without one's host
  6. 6
    To make an enumeration or computation; to engage in numbering or computing.
  7. 7
    To come to an accounting; to draw up or settle accounts; to examine and strike the balance of debt and credit; to adjust relations of desert or penalty.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how reckon appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain
  2. I reckoned above two hundred and fifty on the outside of the church.

Etymology

From Middle English rekenen, from Old English recenian (“to pay; arrange, dispose, reckon”) and ġerecenian (“to explain, recount, relate”); both from Proto-West Germanic *rekanōn (“to count, explain”), from Proto-West Germanic *rekan (“swift, ready, prompt”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to make straight or right”). Cognate with Scots rekkin (“to enumerate, mention, narrate, rehearse, count, calculate, compute”), Saterland Frisian reekenje (“to calculate, figure, reckon”), West Frisian rekkenje (“to account, tally, calculate, figure”), Dutch rekenen (“to count, calculate, reckon, charge”), German Low German reken (“to reckon”), German rechnen (“to count, reckon, calculate”), Danish regne (“to calculate”), Swedish räkna (“to count, calculate, reckon”), Icelandic reikna (“to calculate”), Latin rectus (“straight, right”). See also reck, reach.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erckon
  • rcekon
  • recckon
  • reckkon
  • reckno
  • reckonn
  • recokn
  • rekcon
  • rreckon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reckon - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

erckon2rcekon2recckon1reckkon1reckno2reckonn1recokn2rekcon2
Edit distance from "reckon"

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 "reckon"?
"reckon" is spelled R-E-C-K-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛkən/.
What does "reckon" mean?
As a verb, "reckon" means: To count; to enumerate; to number; also, to compute; to calculate.
What words are commonly confused with "reckon"?
"reckon" is commonly confused with "recon", "region", "rector". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reckon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reckon" is /ˈɹɛkən/. 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 "reckon"?
From Middle English rekenen, from Old English recenian (“to pay; arrange, dispose, reckon”) and ġerecenian (“to explain, recount, relate”); both from Proto-West Germanic *rekanōn (“to count, explain”), from Proto-West Germanic *rekan (“swift, read... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "reckon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list