recurrent

/ɹɪˈkʌɹənt/

//ɹɪˈkʌɹənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“recurrent” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,330. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,330
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Recurring; happening time after time.

Corpus desk

Index EN-recurrent · recurrent · English

recurrent · rank #21,330 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,330
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rectangle

Nearest frequency peer: rectangle (-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 “recurrent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “recurrent” 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).

recurrent vs recurring
78% similar
recurrent vs resurrect
78% similar
recurrent vs resurgent
78% similar

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

Key facts for recurrent
PropertyValue
Headwordrecurrent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈkʌɹənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,330
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “recurrent”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “rectangle” (#21,329), “refill” (#21,331), “recount” (#21,328). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “recurrent” is #21,330. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around recurrent (IPA /ɹɪˈkʌɹənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #21,330 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for recurrent, with forms such as "ercurrent", "rceurrent", and "reccurrent". 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. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "recurring", "resurrect", "resurgent", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin recurrens, present participle of recurrere. Morphologically recur + -ent. The correct English form is recurrent, spelled R-E-C-U-R-R-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Recurring; happening time after time.
  2. 2
    Non-transient.
  3. 3
    Running back toward its origin.
  4. 4
    Turned back toward the base.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The patient complained of recurrent chest pain.
  2. a recurrent nerve or artery

Etymology

From Latin recurrens, present participle of recurrere. Morphologically recur + -ent.

This word in other languages

recurrente(Español)périodique(Français)wiederholt(Deutsch)recorrente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ercurrent
  • rceurrent
  • reccurrent
  • recrurent
  • recurent
  • recurernt
  • recurrennt
  • recurrentt
  • recurretn
  • recurrnet
  • reucrrent
  • rrecurrent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recurrent - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ercurrent2rceurrent2reccurrent1recrurent2recurent1recurernt2recurrennt1recurrentt1
Edit distance from "recurrent"

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 "recurrent"?
"recurrent" is spelled R-E-C-U-R-R-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈkʌɹənt/.
What does "recurrent" mean?
As an adjective, "recurrent" means: Recurring; happening time after time.
What words are commonly confused with "recurrent"?
"recurrent" is commonly confused with "recurring", "resurrect", "resurgent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recurrent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recurrent" is /ɹɪˈkʌɹənt/. 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 "recurrent"?
From Latin recurrens, present participle of recurrere. Morphologically recur + -ent. 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 "recurrent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

rectangle#21,329reopening#21,337requisite#21,338psychosis#21,321

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

renewing12 variantsquantify12 variantsplethora12 variantssecluded12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list