resilient

/ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/

//ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“resilient” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,044 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#15,044
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic. (of objects or substances)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

resilient vs resident
78% similar
resilient vs recipient
78% similar
resilient vs resilience
80% similar

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

Key facts for resilient
PropertyValue
Headwordresilient
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,044
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “resilient” 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). resilient lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for resilient is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,044 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for resilient, with forms such as "ersilient", "reislient", and "resiilent". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "resident", "recipient", "resilience", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Proto-Indo-European *sel-der. Proto-Italic *saljō Latin saliō Latin resiliō Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -ēns Latin resiliēnsder. English resilient Borrowed from Latin resiliēns (“rebounding”, presen… The correct English form is resilient, spelled R-E-S-I-L-I-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic. (of objects or substances)
  2. 2
    Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic. (of objects or substances)
  3. 3
    Returning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions. (of systems, organisms or people)
  4. 4
    Returning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions. (of systems, organisms or people)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Proto-Indo-European *sel-der. Proto-Italic *saljō Latin saliō Latin resiliō Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -ēns Latin resiliēnsder. English resilient Borrowed from Latin resiliēns (“rebounding”, present active participle of resiliō).

Synonyms

bendableflexiblestrong

Antonyms

brittlefragile

This word in other languages

tenaz(Español)flexible(Français)elastisch(Deutsch)resiliente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ersilient,reislient,resiilent,resileint,resiliennt,resilientt,resilietn,resilinet,resillient,resliient,ressilient,rresilient,rseilient

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ersilient2reislient2resiilent2resileint2resiliennt1resilientt1resilietn2resilinet2
Edit distance from "resilient"

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 "resilient"?
"resilient" is spelled R-E-S-I-L-I-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/.
What does "resilient" mean?
As an adjective, "resilient" means: Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic. (of objects or substances)
What words are commonly confused with "resilient"?
"resilient" is commonly confused with "resident", "recipient", "resilience". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "resilient"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "resilient" is /ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/. 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 "resilient"?
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Proto-Indo-European *sel-der. Proto-Italic *saljō Latin saliō Latin resiliō Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -ēns Latin resiliēnsder. English resilient Borrowed from Latin resiliēns (“reboundin... 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 “resilient”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-S-I-L-I-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “resident” - see the side-by-side comparison. resilient vs resident
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list