recluse
/ɹɪˈkluːs/
"recluse" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“recluse” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,147 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #32,147
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 5
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sequestered; secluded, isolated.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | recluse |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ɹɪˈkluːs/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #32,147 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 5 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “recluse” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for recluse is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈkluːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,147 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 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 recluse, with forms such as "ercluse", "rceluse", and "reccluse". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "reuse", "refuse", "recourse", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French reclus, past participle of reclure, from Latin reclūdere (“to disclose, to open”), from re- + claudō (“close”). The correct English form is recluse, spelled R-E-C-L-U-S-E.
Definition
- 1Sequestered; secluded, isolated.
- 2Hidden, secret.
Etymology
From Old French reclus, past participle of reclure, from Latin reclūdere (“to disclose, to open”), from re- + claudō (“close”).
Synonyms
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ercluse,rceluse,reccluse,reclluse,reclsue,reclues,reclusse,reculse,relcuse,rrecluse
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recluse - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "recluse"?
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Using “recluse”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-E-C-L-U-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɹɪˈkluːs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “reuse” - see the side-by-side comparison. recluse vs reuse
- 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.