rectangle

/ˈrɛktæŋɡl̩/

//ˈrɛktæŋɡl̩// noun

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

"rectangle" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rectangle” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,329. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,329
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any quadrilateral having opposing sides parallel and four right angles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rectangle · rectangle · English

rectangle · rank #21,329 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,329
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 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 “rectangle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “rectangle” 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 rectangle
PropertyValue
Headwordrectangle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈrɛktæŋɡl̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,329
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “rectangle”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).rectanglelands 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), “recurrent” (#21,330), “recon” (#21,327). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “rectangle” is #21,329. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around rectangle (IPA /ˈrɛktæŋɡl̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,329 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for rectangle, with forms such as "erctangle", "rcetangle", and "recatngle". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin rectangulum (“right angle”), from Latin rectus (“right”) + angulus (“an angle”). The correct English form is rectangle, spelled R-E-C-T-A-N-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any quadrilateral having opposing sides parallel and four right angles.
  2. 2
    Such a quadrilateral that is oblong (longer than it is wide): one that is not regular (equilateral), that is, any except a square.
  3. 3
    A right angle.
  4. 4
    The product of two quantities.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For why should you praise, for example, the integrity of a Square who faithfully defends the interests of his client, when you ought in reality rather to admire the exact precision of his Rectangles?
  2. In Lines it [the product] is always (and ſometimes in Numbers) call'd the Rectangle between the two Lines, multiply'd by one another.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin rectangulum (“right angle”), from Latin rectus (“right”) + angulus (“an angle”).

This word in other languages

rectángulo(Español)rectangle(Français)Rechteck(Deutsch)retângulo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erctangle
  • rcetangle
  • recatngle
  • recctangle
  • rectagnle
  • rectangel
  • rectanggle
  • rectanglle
  • rectanlge
  • rectanngle
  • rectnagle
  • recttangle
  • retcangle
  • rrectangle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erctangle2rcetangle2recatngle2recctangle1rectagnle2rectangel2rectanggle1rectanglle1
Edit distance from "rectangle"

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 "rectangle"?
"rectangle" is spelled R-E-C-T-A-N-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈrɛktæŋɡl̩/.
What does "rectangle" mean?
As a noun, "rectangle" means: Any quadrilateral having opposing sides parallel and four right angles.
What are common misspellings of "rectangle"?
Common misspellings include "erctangle", "rcetangle", "recatngle", "recctangle", "rectagnle". The correct spelling is "rectangle".
How do you pronounce "rectangle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rectangle" is /ˈrɛktæŋɡl̩/. 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 "rectangle"?
Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin rectangulum (“right angle”), from Latin rectus (“right”) + angulus (“an angle”). 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 "rectangle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

recurrent#21,330psychosis#21,321reopening#21,337requisite#21,338

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

paternity14 variantsnocturnal14 variantsnevermind14 variantsmeticulous14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list