ricochet
/ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/
"ricochet" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ricochet” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,535. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #39,535
- frequency rank, English
- 21,470
- “R” headwords
- 12
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A method of firing a projectile so that it skips along a surface.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ricochet |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #39,535 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “ricochet” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 12 spelling variants around ricochet (IPA /ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,535 among 21,470 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for ricochet, with forms such as "ircochet", "rciochet", and "riccochet". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French ricochet, of uncertain origin. The correct English form is ricochet, spelled R-I-C-O-C-H-E-T.
Definition
- 1A method of firing a projectile so that it skips along a surface.
- 2An instance of ricocheting; a glancing rebound.
Etymology
Borrowed from French ricochet, of uncertain origin.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- ircochet
- rciochet
- riccochet
- riccohet
- ricocchet
- ricoceht
- ricochett
- ricochhet
- ricochte
- ricohcet
- riocchet
- rricochet
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ricochet - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "ricochet"?
What does "ricochet" mean?
What are common misspellings of "ricochet"?
How do you pronounce "ricochet"?
What is the origin of the word "ricochet"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “ricochet”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-I-C-O-C-H-E-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Same frequency band
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.