recon

/ɹɪˈkɒn/

//ɹɪˈkɒn// noun

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

"recon" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“recon” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,327. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,327
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - reconnaissance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-recon · recon · English

recon · rank #21,327 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,327
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH recount

Nearest frequency peer: recount (+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 “recon”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “recon” 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).

recon vs Ron
40% similar
recon vs ren
60% similar
recon vs reo
60% similar

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

Key facts for recon
PropertyValue
Headwordrecon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈkɒn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#21,327
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “recon”

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).reconlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “recount” (#21,328), “rectangle” (#21,329), “rallying” (#21,324). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “recon” is #21,327. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around recon (IPA /ɹɪˈkɒn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,327 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "reconnaissance.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for recon, with forms such as "ercon", "rceon", and "reccon". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Ron", "ren", "reo", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Contracted form of reconnaissance. The correct English form is recon, spelled R-E-C-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    reconnaissance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. During a scan of the Phoenix system asteroid field, you detected an odd energy reading that Tali determined was quarian in nature. She led a recon team into the asteroid field, where she discovered an abandoned freighter.

Etymology

Contracted form of reconnaissance.

This word in other languages

reco(Français)Aufklärung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ercon
  • rceon
  • reccon
  • recno
  • reconn
  • reocn
  • rrecon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recon - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ercon2rceon2reccon1recno2reconn1reocn2rrecon1
Edit distance from "recon"

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 "recon"?
"recon" is spelled R-E-C-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈkɒn/.
What does "recon" mean?
As a noun, "recon" means: reconnaissance.
What words are commonly confused with "recon"?
"recon" is commonly confused with "Ron", "ren", "reo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recon" is /ɹɪˈkɒn/. 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 "recon"?
Contracted form of reconnaissance. 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 "recon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Orton#21,305Soros#21,364Susie#21,373Maori#21,269

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

refill7 variantsnozzle7 variantskneel7 variantskayak7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list