restrict

/ɹɪˈstɹɪkt/

//ɹɪˈstɹɪkt// verb

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

"restrict" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“restrict” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,659. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,659
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To restrain within boundaries; to limit; to confine

Corpus desk

Index EN-restrict · restrict · English

restrict · rank #9,659 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,659
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH retiring

Nearest frequency peer: retiring (+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 “restrict”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “restrict” 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).

restrict vs retract
75% similar
restrict vs restricted
80% similar
restrict vs restraint
78% similar

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

Key facts for restrict
PropertyValue
Headwordrestrict
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈstɹɪkt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,659
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “restrict”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).restrictlands 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 “retiring” (#9,660), “reproductive” (#9,656), “ribs” (#9,662). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “restrict” is #9,659. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around restrict (IPA /ɹɪˈstɹɪkt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,659 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for restrict, with forms such as "erstrict", "resrtict", and "resstrict". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "retract", "restricted", "restraint", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin restrictus, perfect passive participle of restringō (“draw back tightly; restrain, restrict”), from re- (“back, again”) + stringō (“press, tighten, compress”). Doublet of ristretto as an adjective. The correct English form is restrict, spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To restrain within boundaries; to limit; to confine
  2. 2
    To consider (a function) as defined on a subset of its original domain.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. After suffering diahrroea, the patient was restricted to a diet of rice, cold meat, and yoghurt.
  2. It was no less than Valencia deserved after dominating possession in the final 20 minutes although Chelsea defended resolutely and restricted the Spanish side to shooting from long range.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin restrictus, perfect passive participle of restringō (“draw back tightly; restrain, restrict”), from re- (“back, again”) + stringō (“press, tighten, compress”). Doublet of ristretto as an adjective.

Synonyms

limitboundcircumscribewithstrainrestrainrepresscurbcoercequarantine

This word in other languages

restringir(Español)restreindre(Français)beschränken(Deutsch)restringir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erstrict
  • resrtict
  • resstrict
  • restirct
  • restrcit
  • restricct
  • restrictt
  • restritc
  • restrrict
  • resttrict
  • retsrict
  • rrestrict
  • rsetrict

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erstrict2resrtict2resstrict1restirct2restrcit2restricct1restrictt1restritc2
Edit distance from "restrict"

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 "restrict"?
"restrict" is spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈstɹɪkt/.
What does "restrict" mean?
As a verb, "restrict" means: To restrain within boundaries; to limit; to confine
What words are commonly confused with "restrict"?
"restrict" is commonly confused with "retract", "restricted", "restraint". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "restrict"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "restrict" is /ɹɪˈstɹɪkt/. 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 "restrict"?
Borrowed from Latin restrictus, perfect passive participle of restringō (“draw back tightly; restrain, restrict”), from re- (“back, again”) + stringō (“press, tighten, compress”). Doublet of ristretto as an adjective. 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 "restrict", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

retiring#9,660skeleton#9,671tutorial#9,682minimize#9,635

Similar misspelling depth

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

righteous13 variantsprimitive13 variantsmicrowave13 variantsunrelated13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list