regulator

/ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪ.tə/

//ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪ.tə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“regulator” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,668. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,668
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device that controls or limits something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-regulator · regulator · English

regulator · rank #12,668 · 13 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,668
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rectangular

Nearest frequency peer: rectangular (-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 “regulator”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “regulator” 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).

regulator vs regulatory
90% similar
regulator vs regular
78% similar
regulator vs regulate
78% similar

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

Key facts for regulator
PropertyValue
Headwordregulator
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪ.tə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,668
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “regulator”

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).regulatorlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “rectangular” (#12,667), “renting” (#12,669), “rec” (#12,666). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “regulator” is #12,668. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around regulator (IPA /ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪ.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,668 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for regulator, with forms such as "ergulator", "reggulator", and "regluator". 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. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "regulatory", "regular", "regulate", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From regulate + -or. The correct English form is regulator, spelled R-E-G-U-L-A-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device that controls or limits something.
  2. 2
    A device that controls or limits something.
  3. 3
    A person or group that sets standards of practice, especially regulatory law as sanctioned by statutory law.
  4. 4
    A very accurate clock, used by clockmakers to measure the timekeeping of each newly made clock.
  5. 5
    A gene involved in controlling the expression of one or more other genes.
  6. 6
    A device that controls the supply of steam to the cylinders of a steam locomotive.
  7. 7
    Synonym of bulldozer (“member of intimidating group of white US Southerners”).
  8. 8
    A positive real number determining the density of the units in Dirichlet's unit theorem.
  9. 9
    Short for diving regulator.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The regulator stopped working and the resulting overvoltage destroyed the device.
  2. […]in part because a key county reservoir had to been^([sic]) drained to reduce earthquake risks highlighted by federal regulators.

Etymology

From regulate + -or.

This word in other languages

regulador(Español)régulateur(Français)regulador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ergulator
  • reggulator
  • regluator
  • regualtor
  • regulaotr
  • regulatorr
  • regulatro
  • regulattor
  • regullator
  • regultaor
  • reuglator
  • rgeulator
  • rregulator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of regulator - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ergulator2reggulator1regluator2regualtor2regulaotr2regulatorr1regulatro2regulattor1
Edit distance from "regulator"

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 "regulator"?
"regulator" is spelled R-E-G-U-L-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪ.tə/.
What does "regulator" mean?
As a noun, "regulator" means: A device that controls or limits something.
What words are commonly confused with "regulator"?
"regulator" is commonly confused with "regulatory", "regular", "regulate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "regulator"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "regulator" is /ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪ.tə/. 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 "regulator"?
From regulate + -or. 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 "regulator", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

paperback#12,650nostalgia#12,647metabolic#12,639lawmakers#12,628

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

shutdown13 variantsthriving13 variantstrending13 variantsapartheid13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list