reconnaissance

/ɹiˈkɒnəsəns/

//ɹiˈkɒnəsəns// noun

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

"reconnaissance" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reconnaissance” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,108. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,108
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of scouting or exploring (especially military or medical) to gain information.

Key facts for reconnaissance
PropertyValue
Headwordreconnaissance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹiˈkɒnəsəns/
Letters14
Frequency rank#16,108
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reconnaissance” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). reconnaissance lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around reconnaissance (IPA /ɹiˈkɒnəsəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,108 among 21,470 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The act of scouting or exploring (especially military or medical) to gain information.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for reconnaissance, with forms such as "erconnaissance", "rceonnaissance", and "recconnaissance". 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, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French reconnaissance (“recognition”). Doublet of recognizance. The correct English form is reconnaissance, spelled R-E-C-O-N-N-A-I-S-S-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of scouting or exploring (especially military or medical) to gain information.

Etymology

Borrowed from French reconnaissance (“recognition”). Doublet of recognizance.

This word in other languages

reconocimiento(Español)reconnaissance(Français)Aufklärung(Deutsch)reconhecimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erconnaissance
  • rceonnaissance
  • recconnaissance
  • recnonaissance
  • reconaissance
  • reconanissance
  • reconnaisance
  • reconnaisasnce
  • reconnaissacne
  • reconnaissancce
  • reconnaissanec
  • reconnaissannce
  • reconnaissence
  • reconnaissnace
  • reconnasisance
  • reconniassance
  • reocnnaissance
  • rreconnaissance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erconnaissance2rceonnaissance2recconnaissance1recnonaissance2reconaissance1reconanissance2reconnaisance1reconnaisasnce2
Edit distance from "reconnaissance"

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 "reconnaissance"?
"reconnaissance" is spelled R-E-C-O-N-N-A-I-S-S-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiˈkɒnəsəns/.
What does "reconnaissance" mean?
As a noun, "reconnaissance" means: The act of scouting or exploring (especially military or medical) to gain information.
What are common misspellings of "reconnaissance"?
Common misspellings include "erconnaissance", "rceonnaissance", "recconnaissance", "recnonaissance", "reconaissance". The correct spelling is "reconnaissance".
How do you pronounce "reconnaissance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reconnaissance" is /ɹiˈkɒnəsəns/. 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 "reconnaissance"?
Borrowed from French reconnaissance (“recognition”). Doublet of recognizance. 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.

Using “reconnaissance”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-C-O-N-N-A-I-S-S-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹiˈkɒnəsəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list