ricochet

/ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/

//ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ// noun

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

"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
3,094
“R” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A method of firing a projectile so that it skips along a surface.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ricochet · ricochet · English

ricochet · rank #39,535 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,535
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rewrote

Nearest frequency peer: rewrote (-2 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 “ricochet”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ricochet” 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
Key facts for ricochet
PropertyValue
Headwordricochet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#39,535
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ricochet”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).ricochetlands 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 “rewrote” (#39,533), “rishi” (#39,537), “retraining” (#39,532). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “ricochet” is #39,535. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around ricochet (IPA /ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,535 among 3,094 “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

  1. 1
    A method of firing a projectile so that it skips along a surface.
  2. 2
    An instance of ricocheting; a glancing rebound.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. And you've not been hit / By flying lead / You'd better close your eyes / Bow your head / Wait for the ricochet

Etymology

Borrowed from French ricochet, of uncertain origin.

This word in other languages

rebote(Español)ricochet(Français)Querschläger(Deutsch)

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.

ircochet2rciochet2riccochet1riccohet2ricocchet1ricoceht2ricochett1ricochhet1
Edit distance from "ricochet"

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"?
"ricochet" is spelled R-I-C-O-C-H-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/.
What does "ricochet" mean?
As a noun, "ricochet" means: A method of firing a projectile so that it skips along a surface.
What are common misspellings of "ricochet"?
Common misspellings include "ircochet", "rciochet", "riccochet", "riccohet", "ricocchet". The correct spelling is "ricochet".
How do you pronounce "ricochet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ricochet" is /ˈɹɪk.ə.ʃeɪ/. 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 "ricochet"?
Borrowed from French ricochet, of uncertain origin. 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 "ricochet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

savagely#39,542seedling#39,551silencer#39,564quagmire#39,504

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

spatially12 variantsspeedily12 variantspocketed12 variantssubprime12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list