relic

/ˈɹɛlɪk/

//ˈɹɛlɪk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“relic” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,935. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,935
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-relic · relic · English

relic · rank #17,935 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,935
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rein

Nearest frequency peer: rein (-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 “relic”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “relic” 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).

relic vs rely
60% similar
relic vs Remi
40% similar
relic vs remix
60% similar

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

Key facts for relic
PropertyValue
Headwordrelic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛlɪk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,935
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “relic”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).reliclands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “rein” (#17,934), “retard” (#17,936), “reunite” (#17,937). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “relic” is #17,935. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around relic (IPA /ˈɹɛlɪk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,935 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for relic, with forms such as "erlic", "reilc", and "relci". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "rely", "Remi", "remix", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English relik et al., from Old French relique, from Latin reliquiae (“remains, relics”), from relinquō (“I leave behind, abandon, relinquish”), from re- + linquō (“I leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relict, derelict, and relinquish. The correct English form is relic, spelled R-E-L-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion.
  2. 2
    Something old and outdated, possibly kept for sentimental reasons.
  3. 3
    A part of the body of a saint, or an ancient religious object, kept for veneration.
  4. 4
    A particle or entity that has existed since the Big Bang.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] let him not ask our pardon; The nature of his great offence is dead, And deeper than oblivion we do bury The incensing relics of it […]
  2. Though a Cup of cold water from ſome hand may not be without it's reward, yet ſtick not thou for Wine and Oyl for the Wounds of the Distreſſed, and treat the poor, as our Saviour did the Multitude, to the reliques of ſome baskets.

Etymology

From Middle English relik et al., from Old French relique, from Latin reliquiae (“remains, relics”), from relinquō (“I leave behind, abandon, relinquish”), from re- + linquō (“I leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relict, derelict, and relinquish.

This word in other languages

reliquia(Español)reliquat(Français)Relikt(Deutsch)relíquia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erlic
  • reilc
  • relci
  • relicc
  • rellic
  • rleic
  • rrelic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of relic - 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.

erlic2reilc2relci2relicc1rellic1rleic2rrelic1
Edit distance from "relic"

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 "relic"?
"relic" is spelled R-E-L-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛlɪk/.
What does "relic" mean?
As a noun, "relic" means: That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion.
What words are commonly confused with "relic"?
"relic" is commonly confused with "rely", "Remi", "remix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "relic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "relic" is /ˈɹɛlɪk/. 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 "relic"?
From Middle English relik et al., from Old French relique, from Latin reliquiae (“remains, relics”), from relinquō (“I leave behind, abandon, relinquish”), from re- + linquō (“I leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relict, derelict, and... 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 "relic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

reuse#17,938Reyes#17,939racks#17,930Plato#17,922

Similar misspelling depth

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

opaque7 variantsmidday7 variantsMcGee7 variantsloosen7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list