restricted

/ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪd/

//ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪd// verb

"restricted" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“restricted” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,259 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,259
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past and past participle of restrict

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

restricted vs retracted
80% similar
restricted vs restrict
80% similar

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

Key facts for restricted
PropertyValue
Headwordrestricted
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪd/
Letters10
Frequency rank#5,259
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “restricted” 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). restricted 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 restricted is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,259 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "simple past and past participle of restrict".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for restricted, with forms such as "erstricted", "resrticted", and "resstricted". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "retracted", "restrict", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is restricted, spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of restrict

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erstricted,resrticted,resstricted,restircted,restrcited,restriccted,restricetd,restrictde,restrictedd,restrictted,restritced,restrricted,resttricted,retsricted,rrestricted,rsetricted

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erstricted2resrticted2resstricted1restircted2restrcited2restriccted1restricetd2restrictde2
Edit distance from "restricted"

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 "restricted"?
"restricted" is spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪd/.
What does "restricted" mean?
As a verb, "restricted" means: simple past and past participle of restrict
What words are commonly confused with "restricted"?
"restricted" is commonly confused with "retracted", "restrict". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "restricted"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "restricted" is /ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "restricted" come from?
"restricted" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “restricted”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɹɪˈstɹɪktɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “retracted” - see the side-by-side comparison. restricted vs retracted
  • 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