reclaim

/ɹɪˈkleɪm/

//ɹɪˈkleɪm// verb

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

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

The verdict

“reclaim” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,319. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,319
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To return land to a suitable condition for use.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reclaim · reclaim · English

reclaim · rank #16,319 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,319
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH questionnaire

Nearest frequency peer: questionnaire (-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 “reclaim”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reclaim” 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
Key facts for reclaim
PropertyValue
Headwordreclaim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈkleɪm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#16,319
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reclaim”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).reclaimlands 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 “questionnaire” (#16,318), “redevelopment” (#16,320), “qc” (#16,317). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reclaim” is #16,319. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around reclaim (IPA /ɹɪˈkleɪm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #16,319 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for reclaim, with forms such as "erclaim", "rcelaim", and "recalim". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English reclaymen, recleymen, reclamen, from Anglo-Norman reclamer (noun reclaim and Middle French reclamer (noun reclaim), from Latin reclāmō, reclāmāre. Equivalent to re- + claim. The correct English form is reclaim, spelled R-E-C-L-A-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    To return land to a suitable condition for use.
  2. 2
    To obtain useful products from waste; to recycle.
  3. 3
    To claim something back; to repossess.
  4. 4
    To return someone to a proper course of action, or correct an error; to reform.
  5. 5
    To tame or domesticate a wild animal.
  6. 6
    To call back from flight or disorderly action; to call to, for the purpose of subduing or quieting.
  7. 7
    To cry out in opposition or contradiction; to exclaim against anything; to contradict; to take exceptions.
  8. 8
    To draw back; to give way.
  9. 9
    To appeal from the Lord Ordinary to the inner house of the Court of Session.
  10. 10
    To bring back a term into acceptable usage, usually of a slur, and usually by the group that was once targeted by that slur.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His Highneſſe pleaſure is that he ſhould liue, And be reclaim’d with princely lenitie.
  2. Your errour, in time reclaimed, will be veniall.

Etymology

From Middle English reclaymen, recleymen, reclamen, from Anglo-Norman reclamer (noun reclaim and Middle French reclamer (noun reclaim), from Latin reclāmō, reclāmāre. Equivalent to re- + claim.

This word in other languages

recuperar(Español)reprendre(Français)reclamar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erclaim
  • rcelaim
  • recalim
  • recclaim
  • reclaimm
  • reclami
  • recliam
  • recllaim
  • relcaim
  • rreclaim

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erclaim2rcelaim2recalim2recclaim1reclaimm1reclami2recliam2recllaim1
Edit distance from "reclaim"

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 "reclaim"?
"reclaim" is spelled R-E-C-L-A-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈkleɪm/.
What does "reclaim" mean?
As a verb, "reclaim" means: To return land to a suitable condition for use.
What are common misspellings of "reclaim"?
Common misspellings include "erclaim", "rcelaim", "recalim", "recclaim", "reclaimm". The correct spelling is "reclaim".
How do you pronounce "reclaim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reclaim" is /ɹɪˈkleɪm/. 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 "reclaim"?
From Middle English reclaymen, recleymen, reclamen, from Anglo-Norman reclamer (noun reclaim and Middle French reclamer (noun reclaim), from Latin reclāmō, reclāmāre. Equivalent to re- + claim. 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 "reclaim", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rematch#16,323rhythms#16,328plugged#16,304peacock#16,298

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

sapphire10 variantssoaring10 variantssoluble10 variantsneutron10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list